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HISTORY 



OF TIIE 



TOWN OF FITCHBURG, 



MASSACHUSETTS ; 



COMPRISING ALSO A 



HISTORY OF LUNENBURG, 



FROM ITS FIRST SETTLEMENT TO THE YEAR 1764, 



"Few Town Histories will ever be -written a second time; the pains are too 
greatj and the praise is too little." — N. A. Review. 



£83 RUFUS C. TORREY. 



hoi. 




FITCHBURG 



PUBLISHED BY THE FITCHBURG CENTENNIAL COMMITTEE. 

E. & J. GARFIELD, PRIMERS. 

1865. 



V 






m A T55 

■ 










PREFACE. 



The writer lias been induced to undertake the present work by a 
desire to save from the oblivion to which, they were hastening, some of 
tho events connected with the history of this town. Many of these are 
treasured up in the memories of a few aged people, and must, in the 
course of nature, soon bo inevitably lost, if not preserved in a connected 
and tangible form. Though the number of these relics of other days is 
now small, much information has been derived from them, and much 
more might have been obtained, had inquiries been commenced a few 
years earlier. 

Tho writer has had full access to tho proprietors' books, and to tho 
town records of Lunenburg and Fitchburg. Oral and written informa- 
tion has been furnished with tho utmost cheerfulness, by all those in 
possession of facts worthy of note. The labors of another who has 
preceded me in this department, have made my path one of compara- 
tive ease. 

In 1831, Nathaniel Wood, Esq., in a series of lectures read before 
tho lyceum of this town, gave an interesting and discriminating sketch 
of tho events connected with its history. Many circumstances were 
collected and preserved by him, which would have been lost to the 
present writer. Unrestricted use of Mr. Wood's papers has been gen- 



erously granted to me. who otherwise would not have been encouraged 
to undertake the work. While then its merits, if it possess any, are 
mainly to be ascribed to another; its faults and defects are chargeable 
to me. 

To N. F. Cunningham, Esq., and J. A. Marshall, M. D., the res- 
pective town clerks of Lunenburg and Fitchburg, this public expression 
of my thanks is due for the readiness with which they have afforded 
me every facility in their power, in the compilation of this work. To 
other persons to whom I am more or less indebted for information, I 
tender my grateful acknowledgements. 

If I have succeeded in impressing any with the importance of pre- 
serving the records and traditions of the early history of these towns, 
and if those who peruse this work, derive from it a pleasure equal to 
half of the labor I have spent in writing it, I shall not be without a 
reward. 



HISTORY OF FITGHBURG. 



The Town of FlTCHBURG is situated in the north-eastern part of 
the County of Worcester, about forty-seven miles in a north-westerly 
direction from Boston, and twenty-four miles nearly north from. Wor- 
cester. It is thirty miles west from Lowell, and four hundred and 
nineteen north-east from the city of Washington, 

The general boundaries of the town are as follows: — north by 
Ashby, in the County of Middlesex, east by Lunenburg, south-east by 
Leominster, south by Leominster and an unincorporated district called 
No-town, and west by Westminster and Ashburnham. The average 
length of the town, from north to south, is a little more than six and a 
half miles, and the average breadth somewhat less than four and a 
half miles. It contains seventeen thousand eight hundred and sev- 
enty-nine acres, according to a survey made by Levi Downe, in 1830. 

The general surface of the township is extremely uneven. It con- 
sists almost entirely of hills, some of which arc very abrupt, and arc 
of considerable magnitude. Rollstone, a hill lying immediately south- 
west of the village, rises abruptly three hundred feet above the bed of 
the stream, which Hows at its base ; and there are other summits which 



b HISTORY 01 FITCHBURG. 

rise still higher. Of meadow lands, there are scarcely any to be 
found in the limits of the town. 

The soil is very broken, and much labor is required to subdue it 
thoroughly. When once put into a good state of cultivation, it has 
produced heavy crops of potatoes, and the various kinds of grain com- 
mon to this section of the country. Wheat has been, and is still cul- 
tivated with considerable success. The town abounds in good pastur- 
age lands, which, in consequence of the moist soil, seldom fail. 
Nearly the whole of the township was originally covered with a heavy 
growth of pine, which, being cut off, has given place to oak of dif- 
ferent kinds, beech, chestnut, rock-maple, birch, ash, &c. Walnut 
was formerly abundant, but. now it is not very common. 

A strange neglect has prevailed in regard to the cultivation of trees 
for shade and ornament, and the beautiful and easily cultivated fruit 
trees of New England. Apples are common, and a few cherries may 
be seen ; but peaches, rareripes, pears, grapes, plums, apricots, nec- 
tarines, strawberries, &c, which might be produced in abundance, 
and with but little care and expense, are almost wholly strangers 
among us. Not a little beauty would be added to the village, were 
its streets ornamented with the majestic elm ; and not a little would 
be added to the comfort of the citizens, were their grounds plentifully 
stocked with the wholesome and delicious fruits of summer and 
autumn. 

Rev. Peter Whitney, in his valuable history of Worcester County, 
remarks thus of Fitchburg : — " This is a very hilly and uneven, but 
fertile town. The hills are large, high and steep ; however, on them 
there is not broken, poor and waste land. In general, the soil is 
excellent." 

The soil of tins town is a decomposition of mica slate and gneiss. 
The former produces a soil of a medium quality, and is generally well 
fitted for grazing. The soil of a greater part of Worcester County is 
based on gneiss, which differs from granite only in having a slaty 
structure. The soil resulting from the decomposition of this rock 
furnishes some of the most fertile and productive farms of the State. 



HISTORY OF FITCHBURG. I 

The hills of the town (with the exception of Rollstone) are mostly 
formed of mica slate. Rollstone, which rises three hundred feet high, 
an«l is nearly a mile in circumference, is a mass of granite, and 
" might furnish enough to supply the whole state for centuries."* 
This granite has not been extensively quarried, on account of 
the little demand for stone. It has hitherto been principally used 
for door-steps, in building the " Stone Mill," and in constructing 
three excellent bridges over the Nashua. The six columns which 
support the front and projecting part of the " Nashua River Hotel," 
are of this granite. The hill is favorably situated for quarrying, and 
the stone- is easily split into blocks of almost any size. This granite 
is of the same kind and color with that of Westford. Some of it is 
too coarse for architectural purposes ; but blocks can bo obtained no 
wiso inferior to the best of Chelmsford granite. 

This granite is sold at tho quarry, well dressed, at thirty-five and 
forty cents the superficial foot.f 

Tho peculiar appearance of the rock composing Pearl Hill, in the 
north-eastern part of the town, formerly induced the belief that gold 
or silver ore might be found beneath the surface, and attempts 
were made to expose tho supposed mines. But all search was fruitless. 
For the want either of funds or perseverance on the part of those 
engaged in this mining undertaking, tho attempt was soon abandoned, 
and it has never since been resumed. Whitney, in his history of 
Worcester County, has tho following pertinent remarks on this sub- 
ject : — " In the present state of our population, riches, in these north- 
ern parts, are with much greater facility, procured from the surface of 
the earth, by the various instruments of cultivation, than from deep and 
latent mines of the richest ore. When the country becomes over- 
stocked with inhabitants, and support from the soil shall not be so easily 

•Hitchcock's Geology of Massachusetts, page 16. 

t " The cost of hammering and fine dressing granite in Boston, in the style of the Tremont House, 
I have been credibly informed, is about thirty cents the superficial foot. Ordinary work is, however, 
from twenty-five to thirty cents. The cost of the blocks of the Quincy granite for tho Bunker Hill 
monument, delivered at Charlestown in a rough state, was thirteen cents, three mills per foot, and 
tho cost of the unhewn stone for tho church built last year in Bowdoin street, Boston, wus fifteen 
cents ; but six years before, tho rough Quincy granito, for the United States' Branch Bank, cost two 
dollars por foot "—[Hitchcock's Geol. of Mass. 



8 HISTORY OF FITCHBURCF. 

obtained, it is not improbable that from this mountain will be dug large 
quantities of those shining metals, as every thing at present favors the 
conjecture." 1 The population of the place has not yet become so 
dense as to make it necessary to have recourse to the precious metals, 
that may be contained within the bowels of Pearl EM, for their sup- 
port ; and it may be doubted whether the present day and generation 
will witness that period. The promising indications of the existence 
of such metals have not induced another search, though the desire for 
their possession, which so strongly incited our fathers, has not 
diminished in the breasts of their sons. The latter wisely regard the 
solid granite of Rollstone as a more valuable possession. 

Upon the elevation formerly known as Appletree Hill, situated 
east and northeast of the village, there are indications of the existence 
of mineral coal ; and the high and increasing price of fuel will soon, 
it is presumed, cause a thorough examination into the matter. 

Till within a few years, the roads of this town were in a w r retchecl 
condition. The first settlers, as is usual in such cases, located their 
habitations on the heights of the various hills ; and for the convenience 
of the inhabitants, the roads were laid out in a sinuous course from 
one hill to another. The principal roads thus passed over the loftiest 
hills in the town ; and it would seem that generally the most direct 
route between two places was avoided for the purpose of making the 
public ways both crooked and uneven. Our fathers had as much ab- 
horrence for a straight road, as nature once had for a vacuum. The 
" flat rock road/' which leads over the hill immediately north of the 
village, and the road which passes over " Carter's hill," by the house 
of P. Williams, Esq., were once the great thoroughfares between 
Vermont and Boston. The former is now impassable to carriages of 
modern construction, and the latter is but little used. 

Within a few years, a great reform in this respect has taken place ; 
and the town is now as distinguished for its excellent roads, as formerly 
it was for its bad ones. The reform was commenced by straightening 
and otherwise improving the road leading to Leominster.* A new 

"Measures hare recently been taken for making: still further improvements on this route. 



HISTORY OF PTTUHBURG. '.» 

road to Ashburnham was opened in 1830. It generally follows the 
course of the river, and is a level and well made road. About the 
same time a new road was opened to Lunenburg, and communication 
with that place is now easy and agreeable. A new and comparatively 
level road has recently been opened between this place and "West- 
minster. The roads which afford communication between the people 
of Fitchburg and their northern neighbors at Ashby, arc hilly and 
crooked. A few years only will be suffered to elapse before the evil 
will be remedied. A great amount of travel passes through this town 
on the Boston and Keene route. Two excellent stone bridges on this 
road were built over the Nashua river, a few rods west of the village, 
in 1829. They are both built with three arches, having a span of 
twenty-five feet, and, with the embankments, cost over twenty-one 
hundred dollars. They were somewhat injured by the freshet of Feb- 
ruary 1835. In consequence of the foundations of the piers not 
being laid sufficiently firm and deep, they were undermined by the 
force of the water, and settled several inches. The travel over them, 
however, has not been interrupted, and no farther damage is appre- 
hended from their slightly twisted condition. The beautiful stone 
bridge over the Nashua at the " Burbank Paper-Mill " was built in 
the Fall of 1834, at an expense of more than eleven hundred dollars. 
It has two arches, each with a span of thirty feet. 

The town has daily communication, by means of mail stages, with 
Boston, Keene, and Lowell. Stages also depart three times a week 
for Spx-ingfield and Worcester, and return on alternate days. 
Accommodation stages also pass daily between this place and 
Boston. 

There are no natural ponds in the limits of the town, though the 
neighboring towns of Westminster, Ashburnham, and Lunenburg arc 
highly favored in this respect. The artificial ponds, formed by the 
dams on the Nashua at the various mill seats are all small, on account 
of the fall in this stream in the greater part of its course through the 
town. The only stream of much importance in the town, is the north - 



10 HISTORY OF FITCHBURG. 

branch of the Nashua,* the sources of which are in the towns of 
Westminster and Ashburnham. Westminster pond, lying about seventy 
rods southerly from the Congregational meeting-house in Westminster, 
contains more than one hundred and sixty acres ; and Wachusett pond, 
lying at the base of the mountain of the same name, about three miles 
south-easterly from the centre of the same town, is nearly as large. 
Two small streams issue from these ponds, and soon uniting, pass the 
" narrows" and enter Fitchburg, flowing in a north-easterly direction. 
A stream from Ashburnham and Gardner flows through the Avesterly 
part of Westminster, and, being augmented by two other streams, 
known as Tophet Swamp brook and Beech Hill brook, takes an east- 
erly direction, enters this town, and soon unites with the above men- 
tioned streams from the ponds in Westminster. 

Phillip's brook which has its source in Watatich and East ponds, in 
the easterly part of Ashburnham, flows in a southerly and south-easterly 
direction through the northern part of Westminster, and receiving 
several minor streams, passes into Fitchburg, and unites with the main 
stream about a mile and a half west of the village. These several 
streams, united, form the north branch of the Nashua. This con- 
tinues in a north-easterly direction till it reaches the centre of the 
town, when it takes a south-easterly course and passes into Leomin- 
ster. It receives several contributary streams in addition to those 
already mentioned. A small stream rises in the southerly part of the 
town, and runs into the Nashua a little below Sheldon's dam. L. 
Pratt's chair shop and saAV-mill are located on this stream. Another 
small brook runs into the Nashua near to Sheldon's & Pillsbury's grist- 
mill. A saw-mill is located upon it. Punch brook, of about the same 
size with the last named stream flows through the village and empties 
into the Stone mill pond. Four dams are built on it, two of these 
afford water power for a cabinet maker's shop, and a carnage maker's 
shop. The other two are at present unoccupied. Baker's brook 



*This river and the plantation at Lancaster, were formerly called Nashaway. Nashua is a modern 
refinement, hut by no means an improvement. The ancient name is much the better of the two, 
and it should have been preserved ; but as Nashua has been universally adopted I have thought it 
proper to conform to the spirit of the times. 



HISTORY OF FITCIIBURO. 11 

enters this town from Asliby. It flows in a south-easterly direction, 
nearly the whole length of the town, and receiving Pearl Hill brook, 
passes into Lunenburg and Leominster, and unites with the Nashua. 
Two saw-mills are located on it. Wanoosnock brook, which rises in 
Notown, runs through the southerly part of the town, and unites with 
the Nashua near the centre of Leominster. There is one saw-mill on 
it within the limits of Fitchburg. There are several saw-mills and 
other shops on the tributaries to the Nashua, which have been already 
mentioned. 

shorn' s mills, on the Turnpike, are on the principal stream which 
comes from Westminster. A large number of shingles are made here. 
A saw-mill and grist-mill are at the same place. The latter is, how- 
ever, but little used. 

Perkins & Baldwin's Factory is on Phillips' brook, about one hun- 
dred and sixty rods above its junction with the Nashua, and not far 
from two miles west of the village. Shirtings of a good quality are 
manufactured here. The brook here, which is a constant stream, 
makes a fall of eighty feet in thirty rods. Sixteen looms are in 
operation at this place. 

At the junction of Philips' brook with the Nashua is situated J. T. 
Farwell k Go's Scythe Manufactory. Dams are thrown across both 
streams, the waters of which are thus secured. 

A. Crocker & Co's Paper-mill is located on the Nashua, at the dis- 
tance of one and a half miles west of the village. A good head of 
water is secured here. At this establishment paper of various kinds, 
principally however printing and writing paper, is manufactured to a 
considerable extent. The same "privilege" furnishes water power to 
A. Kimball & Co's Scythe manufactory, situated a few rods below the 
paper-mill. The scythes manufactured by Messrs. Kimball & Farwell 
have had an extensive sale, and they are well known to be of a supe- 
rior quality. Great numbers of them are sold annually. 

Sheldon & Pillsbury's dam is located about one hundred and eighty 
rods below the one last mentioned. From this pond a trench has been 
dug, nearly one hundred and fifty rods in length, by means of which 



12 HISTORY OP PITCSBURG. 

the water is conveyed to a saw-mill and grist-mill. A fall of twenty- 
two feet is obtained, and it may be considered perhaps as the best 
mill seat on the stream. The grist-mill is furnished with two runs 
of stones, a corn-cracker and a flour-bolter. A large quantity of grain 
is brought to this mill, some from a great distance. It is more partic- 
ularly noted for the superior manner in which flour is bolted. 

In this respect it is not inferior to any mills in this region. The 
average quantity of flour prepared here, during the past year, has been 
about five barrels per day. In the course of the present year it will 
probably be doubled. 

Town & Willis' Cotton Mill is situated a few rods west of the com- 
mon. Twenty looms are here in operation, in manufacturing 4-4ths 
sheetings. It is at present leased to Levi Sherwin. 

The Fitchburg Woolen Mill owned by the same company as the 
cotton-mill last mentioned, occupies an eligible situation in the very 
centre of the village. It is a commodious building of brick, and 
furnished with all the necessary outrbuildings. Sixteen looms are in 
operation; eight of which are for broadcloths, and eight for cassimeres. 

Newton's Cotton Factory, about one hundred rods below the one 
last named, was formerly a manufactory for sheetings. Negro cloths 
are now the principal article manufactured. 

The Stone Mill, a large granite building, is situated in that part of 
the village known as the Old City. It is four stories high, and occu- 
pied by Percy Atherton, as a Cotton Factory. It has forty looms for 
weaving sheetings. 

Crocker & Gardner's Paper-mill generally known as the Burbank 

T» ...» 

Paper-mill, is eighty rods farther down stream. A good head of water 
is obtained here. This mill is altogether used for the manufacture of 
wrapping paper. Two engines are kept in almost constant motion, 
night and day, to furnish pulp sufficient to supply one machine. Both 
of the Paper-mills in this town have, in connexion with their machines, 
a late improved drying cylinder. The paper passes from the machine 
over a heated cylinder (generally from four to six feet in diameter,) 
Which completely dries it. At the same time it is cut into pieces, of 



HISTORY OF llTcnm l!<;. 13 

convenient size, ready to be folded into reams. Water is also furnished 
at this dam for a -workshop not connected with the Paper-mill. 

Next on the stream, situated about two hundred and forty rods be- 
low the Paper-mill, is Poor's (formerly Slater's) Woolen Factory. 
Sixteen looms are in operation here ; on six of which cassimeres, and 
on ten, broadcloths are woven, 

A dam is again thrown over the Nashua about one hundred rods 
farther down stream. From this pond the water is conducted by a 
trench, about fifty rods in length, to the Woolen Factory occupied by 
Amos Hill. This is a brick building, erected within a few years. A 
part of the factory is occupiod by A. Hill, who has twelve looms in 
operation in making broadcloths. In the part occupied by Alfred 
Messenger there are eleven looms employed in making negro cloths. 

Commencing with Osborn's mills on the Turnpike, and including 
Perkins & Baldwin's Factory, which is not on the principal stream, 
there are twelve mill seats already occupied. Of these, four are sites 
for Cotton Factories, three for Woolen Factories, two for Paper-mills, 
two for saw and grist mills, and one for a Scythe Factory. This 
account does not include A. Kimball's Scythe Factory, which is sup- 
plied with water from A. Crocker & Co's pond. There are several 
saw-mills, turning lathes, work shops, &c, connected with most of the 
Factories above numerated. A dam has been built over the stream 
between A. Crocker's and Sheldon's dams, and a chair shop is about 
to be erected on the spot. It is calculated that there are five " privi- 
leges" yet unoccupied, between Osborn's mills and J. T. Farwell's 
Scythe Factory. There are also several other convenient places on 
the Nashua, where dams may be constructed. At the present time 
not one half of the water power which may be developed on this 
stream and its tributaries, is " improved." 

Other manufactories and trades must be noticed briefly. Another 
chair shop lias been opened in the village. Here also are carriage and 
coach makers, wheelwrights, carpenters, shoemakers, blacksmiths, win- 
dow sash and blind makers, saddle and harness makers, trunk makers, 
two clock and watch makers and jewellers, book-binders and book- 



14 HISTORY OF FITCIIBURfJ. 

sellers, apothecaries, stone cutters, hatters, bellows makers, brick makers, 
coopers, painters, (house, sign, carriage and ornamental,) masons, 
tailors, glaziers, a bakery, a tannery, a printing office, &c, &c. The 
first printing office was opened in 1830 ; since which time a newspaper 
has been published here. For a short period in 1834 three papers (two 
political and one religious) were printed. The present paper (Wor- 
cester County Courier) and printing office are owned by J. Garfield. 

There are eight public stores, containing the usual variety of 
English, American, and West India goods, and two bookstores. 

The Fitchburg Bank was incorporated in the year 1832, with a 
capital of $100,000, and went into operation in July of the same 
year. It has usually declared semi-annual dividends of 3£ per cent, 
and the stock is about ten per cent, advance. Francis Perkins has 
been President, and Ebenezer Torrey, Cashier, of this institution from 
the commencement. 

The number of inhabitants previous to the census of 1791, is a 
matter of uncertainty. When the town was incorporated, February 
3d, 1764, it contained about forty families ; and the population at this 
period may be estimated at two hundred and fifty. According to the 
census of 1791, it amounted to eleven hundred and fifty-one. The 
taxable polls in 1793 amounted to two hundred and sixty-eight, — at 
the same time eighteen towns of the County contained a greater num- 
ber, and thirty towns a less. The population in 1800 was one 
thousand three hundred and ninety ; in 1810, one thousand five hun- 
dred and sixty-six ; in 1820, one thousand seven hundred and thirty- 
six ; in 1830, two thousand one hundred and seventy-nine. Within 
the last ten years the population has increased in a greater ratio than 
at any former period ; and at the present time the number of inhabi- 
tants may be estimated at twenty-six or twenty-seven hundred. The 
increase from 1791 to 1800 was two hundred and thirty-nine ; from 
1800 to 1810, one hundred and seventy-six ; from 1810 to 1820, one 
hundred and seventy ; from 1820 to 1830, four hundred and forty- 
three. 

The principal circumstances which tended to retard the population 



HISTORY OF FITCHBURG. 1 5 

of the town in the earlier period of its history, was the expense of 
maintaining and keeping in repair the roads and bridges. The broken 
and uneven nature of the soil rendered the construction of roads labori- 
ous and costly. The item for building and keeping in repair the several 
bridges over the Nashua and its tributaries, was not small. The art of 
constructing durable bridges was not understood in those days. They 
were built of frail and unsuitable materials, and were constantly in 
need of repairs. When built in the most approved style of those 
days, they were liable to be swept away by the first freshet. The 
rivers, which have since been the source of the wealth and prosperty 
of the town, were, in tha opinion of its earlier settlers, its greatest evils. 
In 1793, according to Whitney's Hisbry, there had been built on the 
Nashua a saw-mill, a corn mill, a fulling mill, a clothier's works, a 
trip-hammer, and works for grinding scythes. These occasioned a 
great resort of people to the place, and from a considerable distance. 
At this period there was much travel through the place, by people on 
their way between Vermont and Boston. With these exceptions, 
there was nothing to give to the growth of the place an impulse be-, 
yond that of the neighboring towns. The people subsisted principally 
by husbandry; and the soil upon which they toiled, was by no means 
peculiarly excellent. The unsettled condition of the country, during 
the period of the commercial restrictions, and the last war with Great 
Britain, tended still further to check the business of the place. Man- 
ufacturing establishments might have done a profitable business, but 
this was the period of their infancy in our country ; and the experi- 
ment of introducing them was attended with that varied and uncertain 
success which usually marks the first efforts for finding new and untried 
channels for business and profit. 

Many of those who found manufacturing a lucrative employment 
during the war, had their profits cut off" and their business ruined at 
the termination of the contest, by the introduction of foreign goods, 
with which the markets we're glutted, and with which they could not 
compete. 



fl> HISTORY OF FITCHBURGF. 

Note on the Manufactures. — As the manufacture of cotton and 
woolen goods forms so important a branch of the business of the town, 
it has been thought that a more particular account of the time at 
which the several factories were erected and put into operation, would 
prove interesting. 

The exact period when Dea. Amos Kimball and his cousin Ephraim 
removed from Bradford and settled within the limits of the present 
town of Fitchburg, is not known ; but it was probably during the year 
1745 or 6, when this town constituted a part of Lunenburg. Amos 
Kimball settled on the farm which Samuel Hale now occupies, and 
Ephraim liv"ed on what is now known as the Storey farm. They built 
tin' first ,l,nii across the Nashua in tliis town, near the place now occupied 
by the " Stone Mill," and erected here a saw mill and a grist-mill. 
This primitive dam, the model of which might have been taken from 
the structures of the beavers, was a frail piece of Avorkmanship, and 
was generally swept away by the annual freshet. After the close of 
the Revolutionary struggle, a fuEing mill and clothier's works-, a card- 
ing machine, and works for grinding scythes, were erected here. The 
building occupied by the carding machine was afterwards used for 
manufacturing satinets, and for other purposes — but to little extent, 
and less profit. These buildings have since given place to the excellent 
stone structure, which will be mentioned in the proper place. 

A new dam of granite was- built a few feet below the old one, in 1826*. 

The brick factory, now owned by Messrs. Town, Willis, and others, 
was the first factory erected in the town, and among the earliest (prob- 
ably the second or third ) built in this state. It was commenced soon 
after Slater's factory at Pawtucket, in the year 1807. A factory was 
I milt at New Ipswich, N. H. a short time previous-; Plant's factory at 
Lancaster, and one a.t Peterborough, N. H. were undertaken very soon 
after. The dam belonging to the brick factory was built by Ephraim 
Kimball in 1807, and the factory was commenced at the same time by 
a company of about thirty individuals, who took shares in this novel 
experiment of spinning cotton. 

The building which they erected, was thirty feet by sixty, The 



HISTORY OF FITCHBTIRG. IT 

lower part was used as a workshop, while the upper was occupied by 
a picker, and was used as a store house for cotton. The Corporation 
(the company was incorporated in the winter of 180(3-7,) employed 
one Bobbins, who had had some experience at Slater's works in Paw- 
tucket, to make patterns for castings, construct machinery, and " start'" 
the mill. This Bobbins usually drank a quart of brandy daily, and 
was not altogether a very amiable character. Being puffed up as 
master-workman and as the possessor of important secrets, he assumed 
an independent and overhearing demeanor, which was not very pleas- 
ing in the eyes of the Corporation. All the workmen here employed 
had to take shares in the concern, and when it became necessary to 
lay an assessment upon these, Bobbins claimed an exemption, on the 
ground of being the most important man. To this the Corporation 
would not assent : and thereupon the master-workman determined that 
they should feel his power. Instead, then, of hastening the comple- 
tion of that part of the machinery which would be first wanted, he 
deliberately went to work upon that which would he needed last, and 
thus retarded the " starting" of the factory some time. 

But Bobbins soon found that he had over-estimated his own impor- 
tance; for same of the eret 'rprisincf young workman, by climbing the 
lightning-rod and descending the scuttle of the factory, got possession 
of his chest, which contained his important patterns, and made them- 
selves acquainted with all the secret knowledge which the said chest 
contained. Hereupon Bobbins was unceremoniously dismissed. 

Afterwards an individual by the name of Field, who had been 
engaged at New [pswich, N. IL, was hired to take the immediate 
supcriiitendauce of the factory, which went into operation under his 
direction. The operations of the company did not appear to have 
been very profitable at Erst, in < of the imperfections of 

the machinery, and the great expendi a,ry in such experi- 

mental undertakings. In a company, too, of such lief >rogeneous 
materials, great unanimity could u >(: and complaint: were 

frequently heard, and shares often passed from one owner fco another. 

In a tew years, however, the Corporation began to do a more profit- 

c 



18 HISTORY OF FITCHBURG. 

able business, machinery of an improved construction having been 
introduced, and the restrictions upon the commerce of the country, 
and the subsequent war operating in their favor. 

The Corporation had committed a great oversight in not securing a 
proper title to their dam. The individual who built it was owner of 
the land on one side of the river, and the Corporation owned on the 
other side. The dividing line between them was in the middle of the 
river. This individual having 'lost money by building the dam, 
demanded four hundred dollars of the Corporation to cover his loss. 
This was refused. He then informed the Corporation that he was 
owner of one half of the dam, which he offered to sell them for the 
sum of twelve hundred dollars. The Corporation having neglected to 
comply with his terms, he sold his title to the dam and a piece of land 
(now occupied by Capt. Z. Sheldon's carpenter's shop,) for fifteen 
hundred dollars to two persons, who soon commenced building some 
works there. They made free use of the water, and finally cut away 
a part of the dam. This was a death blow to the Corporation. Their 
business was suddenly stopped when they were reaping an immense 
profit from it, and they were soon involved in a ruinous law-suit. An 
unusually large quantity of cotton on hand was, after some time, 
disposed of at a great sacrifice. They were suffering a loss of 
undoubtedly more than fifty dollars daily — perhaps nearer a hundred. 

The question at issue between the Corporation and the owners of 
the other side of the river, was finally decided by referees against the 
former. The expenses of this suit and the heavy damages awarded 
against them were more than the Corporation were able to bear. It 
failed in 1816. In addition to the factory, they owned the two brick 
boarding houses, and the brick store now occupied by Messrs. Mc- 
Intire & Caldwell. 

After the failure of the Corporation, their property was purchased 
by Messrs. Putnam & Perkins, for about one-third of its original cost. 
It remained in their hands, and the factory was kept in operation, till 
1822, when it was purchased by Messrs. Town & Willis, who put in 
machinerv for the manufacture of woolen <roods. It has remained in 



HISTORY OF FTTCIfTH'Itw. 19 

their hands since that period. In 1834 it was enlarged by an addi- 
tion of forty feet in length and thirty-eight in breadth. 

The second attempt at cotton spinning, in this town, was made by 
Capt. Martin Newton. lie had been employed by the Corporation, 
when their works were first put in operation. The location of the 
carding machine, near the site of the present stone mill, has already 
.been mentioned. In this building Capt. Newton put in operation 
two spinning frames, on " Election Day," in the year 1810. The 
expense of fitting up this limited concern was about $1800, — and 
the profits at the end of the first year were but little short of $1000. 
It yielded an income of at least GO per cent, on the capital invested. 
Cotton yarn, at this period, readily commanded eighty-five cents per 
pound. 

This business proving to be so lucrative, Capt. Newton, in con- 
nection with Solomon Strong (at present one of the Justices of the 
Court of Common Pleas) and Jonathan Flint, (both of these latter 
then belonged to Westminster) erected, in the year 1812, the build- 
ing now known as Newton's factory, and continued there the manu- 
facture of cotton goods. 

The dam at the " Rollstone (cotton) Mill" was built by Jonas 
Marshall and l)ea. Ephraim Kimball* in the year 1701. This was 
the second dam built across the Nashua. At the same time they 
built a saw-mill ; and shortly afterwards clothier's works and a trip- 
hammer were built on the site of the blacksmith's shop a few rods 
below the factory. No vestiges of these now remain. 

The Red (or Rollstone) Mill was built in 1813, by John and 
Joseph Farwell and Nehemiah (Hies. When Messrs. Putnam & 
Perkins purchased the property of the exploded " Corporation," they 
bought the Rollstone Mill also, as the pond of the former intruded 
somewhat upon the water-wheel of the latter. It was owned by Gen. 
Ivers Jewett, and in 1833, it was purchased by Messrs. Town, Willis, 
and others. 



•II. was a -ou of thai Kpliraim who was among the earlier sctl'crs of the town. Dca, Ephraiui 
Kimball left, a lar^<' family, several of whom are now liviug in this town. 



20 HISTORY OF FlTCHBtJRG. 

The factory on Phillips 1 brook, generally known as " Baldwin's 
factory," was built in the fall of 1814. The persons engaged in this 
undertaking experienced a fate common to many, who, about this 
time, embarked their whole fortune in cotton manufactories. Soon 
after the commencement of their operations, peace was declared 
between this country and England, and the company failed. The fall 
of the water at this place is very great. The hole occupied by the 
factory was extremely rugged and rocky, and great expense was 
incurred in clearing it out. The factory is supplied by two small 
ponds — -the surface of the water in the upper one being nearly on a 
level with the steeple of the factory, which is about thirty rods distant. 

The Ked Woolen factory, situated about a mile southeasterly of the 
village, and now owned and occupied by Benjamin Poor of Boston, 
was built in 1823, by Tyler Daniels & Co. It was in their possession 
four or five years, when they disposed of their interest in it. After 
changing owners several times, it was purchased by Samuel Slater, 
whose heirs sold it to the present owner. For several years it was not 
in operation. It was put in operation again by John A. A. Laforest 
& Co., in 1834. An addition was made to this mill in 1827. 

The Stone Mill (cotton) was built in 1826, by Oliver Fox, Es<p\ 
It is very near, or partly occupies, the site of the first grist-mill and 
saw-mill erected in the town by Deacon Amos and Ephraim Kimball. 
The present lessee and owner of the machinery, is Percy Atherton. 

The brick (woolen) factory at South Fitchburg was built by Mollis 
Hartshorn, in 1832. Soon after the commencement of the building, 
William Whitney of Boston became joint owner in the concern. It is 
now owned by him and Oapt. Z. Sheldon. It is leased to Amos Hill, 
as has been mentioned in another place. 

The Burbank paper-mill and dam (the third built across the 
Nashua) were built in the year 1804, by Thomas French. The mill 
went into operation the following year. 

A. Crocker & Co's paper-mill was built in 1826 ; and the dam 
there was made in the previous autumn. This place was exceedingly 
rough and difficult of access. The dam alone cost $1500. 



HISTORY 01 iliviiia-R^. 2] 

The above account embraces the most important items relating to 
the origin and progress of the manufactures of Fitchburg, 

Previous to the commencement of the manufacture of woolen cloths 

in 1822, some attempts had been made in manufacturing satinets, in 
the Old City, hut the scheme was a losing one, and was soon abandoned. 

Saw-mills were built on several of the minor streams, in different 
parts of the town, at quite an early period. 

When the town was in its infancy, the opinion was general, that it 
could never he a flourishing place, as its enterprise and prosperity 
would always ho checked by the burthenscme taxes necessary to 
keep in repair the roads and bridges. The Nashua river was con- 
sidered as the curse of the place ! The present condition and future 
prospects of the town are a singular commentary on the opinion of 
our fathers. 

The number of ratable polls at this time is about 700. The militia 
is composed of three companies, viz — -two standing companies and one 
of light infantry. 

The town is divided into twelve school districts. From the School 
Returns furnished to the Legislature, for the year 1885, I gather the 
following statements : — The number of children attending ( !ommon 
Schools, from four to sixteen years of age is, males, 271; females, 
289, Average attendance, 416. Children not attending Common 
Schools any portion of the year, — 15 males, 26 females. Aggregate 
time of keeping school in all the districts is, in winter, 28 months, 21 
days ; summer, 28 months, 7 days. Number of male instructors, 11 ; 
female do. 14. Average wages per month, exclusive of hoard, win- 
ter, $16,67 ; summer, $4,30. Amount of money raised by tax for 
supporting Common Schools, $1,237,50. Estimated amount paid for 
tuition at the Academy and private schools, $705,00, 

The Academy is a commodious, two-story building, situated a few 
rods easterly of the common. It was erected in 1830, at an expense 
of about $1200,00. It is furnished with tw T o school, rooms on the 
lower floor ; the former of which will accommodate sixty-five scholars, 
and the latter thirty. The average number of scholars attending, 
for several years past, has been about thirty. 



it HISTORY OF FTTCIIBriU.'. 



CIVIL HISTORY. 

Before entering upon the civil history of the town, it may be proper 
to take a glance at the situation and condition of this part of the 
country, at the time when the white man first placed his foot upon it, 
and sought an abiding place and shelter in the then unknown wilder- 
ness. 

What events transpired previous to this period, the imperfect tradi- 
tions of the natives do not inform us. The elements of nature were 
at work upon the soil, but its mould was not disturbed by the arts of 
civilized life. Trees sprung forth, grew to a majestic height, and 
then fell to the earth in the natural progress of decay. 

The Nashua wound its devious course through the forest, the still- 
ness of which was not interrupted, save by the shout of the savage, 
the cry of the beast of prey, or the scream of the wild bird of the 
wilderness. The current of the stream may have been choked by the 
trunks of trees, hurled by the violence of the tempest into its bosom. 
The mass of accumulating water would then burst forth, perhaps 
seeking a new channel in its onward course. What changes have 
heretofore taken place in the course of -the Nashua, we know not — 
running water is always wearing. 

There is every appearance that the bed of the stream which flows 
by Messrs. Perkins & Baldwin's factory, once was situated ten or 
twenty feet higher than at present, in the ledge of rocks near their 
dam. But the changes, which have taken place on the surface of our 
township, are more fit speculations for the geologist. We cannot 
speak with certainty «>f its appearance, till after it was visited by the 
white man. 

At this period we know that this section of the country was thinly 
peopled by several Indian tribes. A few years previous to the land- 
ing of our fathers at Plymouth, a deadly pestilence raged among the 
aborigines, [jand swept nine-tenths of them to their graves. The 
Indian population did not average one inhabitant to each square mile. 



HISTORY of PrTCHBURG. 23 

The Indians of New England were divided into five principal 
tribes, all of which extended their jurisdiction into the limits of the 
present county of Worcester. There were, also, several smaller 
tribes under their own sagamores or sachems; hut they were all 
tributary to the larger tribes. 

The Pequods, whose sovereign resided at New London, Ct., had 
dominion over the Nipmucks, in the southern and southwestern part 
of the county. The Narrhagansetts occupied what was then the col- 
ony of Rhode Island. They, also, had tribute from some of the Nip- 
mucks. The Pokanokets, or Wampanoags lived in the Plymouth 
colony. Their sachem's scat was at Mount Hope (Haup) near 
Bristol. The celebrated Philip, or Metacom was their chief. They 
extended their authority over another portion of the Nipmucks. It 
is not probable that either of these tribes extended their jurisdic- 
tion so far north as Fitchburg, 

The Massachusetts were the next great tribe northward, and 
extended from .the bay of the same name to the Connecticut river. 
The Nashuas, in the vicinity of Lancaster, and the northern portion of 
the Nipmucks, were under this tribe. If this town was included in 
the territory of the Nashuas, it was under the jurisdiction of the 
Massachusetts; but this is not very probable, as the Nashuas consisted 
of only fifteen or sixteen families, residing on the interval lands of 
Lancaster, or near the ponds of Sterling. 

The Pawtuckets dwelt in the northeastern parts of the state, on the 
banks of the Merrimack and its tributaries. This tribe probably 
extended over the northern part of the county. If this supposition 
be correct, then Fitchburg undoubtedly formed part of the territory 
of the Pawtuckets. 

Again, it has been supposed that the town was in the territory of 
the Penicooks, who principally resided in the region about Concord, 
N. II. But there is not much foundation for the opinion that their 
realms extended so far south. 

The Nip mucks, if ever an independent, were now a broken down 
tribe, as most of the neighboring sachems claimed sovereignty over 



'24c HISTORY OF FrTCHBURG. 

them. They were a harmless, simple minded race, and many of them 
becama converts to Christianity, through the preaching of the cele- 
brated Indian Apostle, Elliott. These Indians and the Nashuas 
Conducted with good faith towards their white neighbors, till King 
Philip's war, in 1(>75, when they were induced to unite with him. 
When the Nashuas were broken up, most of them joined the Peni- 
eooks at the north. 

The Indian population was so extremely sparse, when, this territory 
began to be settled by the whites, that there is no reason to believe 
that the geographical lines of the different tribes were distinctly 
marked — they were determined rather by tacit consent or general 
understanding. Sometimes, when the hunting parties of one tribe 
pursued their game into the limits of another, or caught their fish in 
forbidden waters, then feelings of indignation were enkindled in the 
bosoms of the aggrieved party, and measures of retaliation were con- 
certed. Hence feuds, not only between individuals, but between 
whole tribes, arose, and bloody wars were originated. . 

There do not appear to be any well authenticated accounts, which 
tend to show that the Indians of any tribe ever made any part of this 
town a permanent place of residence. Stone arrow-heads have been 
dug up in various places, and other implements of Indian manufacture 
have been found in the field opposite to the house of Capt. Philip F. 
Cowdin, but not in sufficient numbers to authorize "a supposition that 
their owners ever permanently resided there. They have, however, 
left behind them sufficient relics for tis to conclude that they were 
neither ignorant nor unmindful of the excellent shad, alewives, or 
salmon-trout, which sported in the waters of the Nashua, or of the 
deer and wild turkeys, which found a shelter and a covert under the 
branches of the majestic pines which towered above our hills. 

It may be an amusing speculation to inquire when the soil of Fitch- 
burg was sed by the foot of the white man. In 1643, but 
little more than twenty-two years after the lauding of the Pilgrims at 
Plymouth, the region about Lancaster was in subjection to Sholan^ 
Bachem of the Nashuas. He bad opened a species of traffic with the 



HISTORY OF FITCHBURG. 25 

people of Watertown, and for greater convenience in this respect lie 
invited Mr. Thomas King, and others residing there, to remove to the 
fertile regions of the Nashua. They complied with his advice, and 
commenced the plantation in 1643. In 1653, the town, then con- 
taining nine families, was incorporated by the name of Lancaster. 
From this time the inhabitants dwelt in peace, till the commencement 
of Philip's war, in 1675. 

To the east of us, the town of Groton was incorporated in 1655. 
Beyond these points, which were on the verge of civilization, the white 
population did not extend for a considerable time. Perhaps some 
hunter from these frontier settlements, in his solitary pursuit after 
game, may have traversed our hills, and penetrated the unknown 
wilderness : hut this is altogether conjecture. 

February 10th, (0. S.) 16T6, the Indians attacked Lancaster, and 
after destroying the settlement by burning the houses and murdering 
many people, they marched with the prisoners towards Canada. 
Among these was Mrs. Rowlandson, wife of the minister of the place. 
After her return from captivity, • she published an account of her 
journevings through the wilderness, under the title of "Twenty 
Removes/' From this quaint work and other data, attempts have 
been made to trace her course. But the country being then entirely 
wild, and her accounts extremely vague in consequence — her mind at 
the same time being depressed by the hazards of her perilous situation, 
and by recollections of the recent calamity which had fallen so heavily 
upon her — nothing very satisfactory has been elicited. Her descrip- 
tions answer to three distinct routes, the most northern of which would 
carry her through Fitchburg. 

From her account it. appears that she spent the first night of her 
captivity on a small island in a river. This is supposed to be in 
Leominster. There is an island there answering very -well to her 
description. The second night she passed upon a high hill — the third 
night in Narrhagansett, which is now Westminster — and on the eighth 
d-\y of her captivity she arrived at a place now in New Braintree. 

If then it be assumed that she staid the first night in Leominster, 



20 HISTORY OF FITCHBURG. 

and the third night in Narrhagansett, there is every reason to believe 
that — independent of all tradition and all circumstances related by 
her — she passed the second night somewhere in the limits of the 
present town of Fitchburg. Taking all things into consideration, 
there is good foundation for the conjecture that she passed the second 
night on Rollstone hill. If this conjecture be true, what a scene must 
have been witnessed by her, on the summit of dint hill, on the night 
of the 11th of February (0. S.) 16T6. The merciless savages, 
exulting in their success, were celebrating the massacre which they 
had inflicted upon the innocent people of Lancaster, and testifying by 
their dreadful rites and hellish orgies, their joy at shedding human 
blood. Tu the midst of them sat the lone white woman — her spirit 
crushed to the earth by the weight of her sudden and overwhelming 
calamities. Torn from her husband, sorrowing for the destruction of 
her kindred and friends, with no comforts to supply her necessities — 
no shelter to protect her from the wintry blasts — and with a dread of 
a hopeless captivity in prospect, she was entirely dependent upon the 
"tender mercies" of the savages, the murderers of her children. 

I will now leave these matters of uncertain speculation, and proceed 
with the dull relations of history. 

Previous to the incorporation of this town, under the name of Fitch- 
burg, in 1764, it formed apart of Lunenburg. To begin, then, at the 
beginning, and acquire a knowledge of our origin, it is necessary to 
search into the early records of Lunenburg, in the transactions and 
events of which town the people who inhabited what is now Fitch- 
burg, had an equal interest, and an equal share. 

In Whitney's "History of Worcester County," the account of 
Lunenburg commences as follows: — "On the 4th of November, 
171'.*, the Genera] Court, at the request of a number of gentlemen, 
made a grant to them of this territory for a valuable consideration," 
&c. Who these "gentlemen** were, is not known; hut it is presumed 
they were among those whose names are preserved in the proprietors' 
books, as the earliest settlers. The "valuable consideration''' above 
mentioned, will be made known by the terms of the grant. Further- 



HISTORY OF invjdii itt;. 27 

more, this order, or grant of the General Court, is of great importance ; 
for it is not only the foundation of our municipal rights, but it is the 
basis upon which rest all the titles to real estate in this town and 
Lunenburg. I will therefore give it entire, from an exact copy of 
the original records, as furnished by the Secretary of the Common- 
wealth : 

" Anno Regni Regis Georgii Magna 1 Britannite, &c. Sexto. 

At a great and General Court or Assembly for his Majesty's 
Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England, begun and held 
at Boston, upon Wednesday, the twenty-seventh of .May, 1719, and 
continued by" Prorogation to Wednesday, the fourth of November, 

171'.*, and then met: being their second session. 

Monday, December 7, 1719. 

In the house of Representatives, the vote for granting two new 
towns was brought down from the board, with .Amendments, which. 
were read and agreed to— And the said vote is as follows, viz: — 

Voted that two new Towns, each containing a Quantity of land not 
exceeding six miles square, be laid out in ;fs regular Forms, as the Land 
will allow : to be settled in a defensible manner, on the Westerly side 
of Groton West line, and that William Tailor, Samuel Thaxter, Fran- 
cis Fulham, Esqrs., Capt. John Shipley, and Mr. Benjamin Whitta- 
more, be a Committee fully- impowered to allot and grant out the land 
contained in each of the said towns, (a lot not to exceed Two hundred 
fifty acre-) to such persons, ami only such as will effectually 
settle the same within the space of three years next ensuing the 
laying out and granting such lots by the Committee, who are instructed 
and directed to admit eighty families or persons in each Town at least, 
who shall pay to the said Committee for the use of the Province, the 
sum of Five founds for each allotment, which shall be granted and 
allotted as aforesaid: and that each person to whom such lot or lots 
shall he granted or laid (Hit, shall be obliged to build a good Dwelling 
House thereon and inhabit it ; and also to break up and fence in three 
acre,- of land the at least within the Term of three years : and that there 
be laid out and reserved for the first: settled Minister, a g 1 conven- 
ient Lot;* also a, Lot tor the School, f and a ministerial lot,^ and a lot 
for Harvard College,^ of two hundred and fifty acres each : and that 
the Settlers he obliged to build a«good, convenient House for theWor- 



■ I in- lut was where T. ;v J. Dunsmoor nov? 1 i > . ■ . acar tin- north burial place. 

t'I'lic School lot was in tin' N, W. part of Lunenburg ; and a portion "I it came within the limits of 
Fitchburg. 

: I be Ministeiial u.t was so divided thai it i> now difficult to fix the precise situation of the several 
parts. 

The College lot was in the \, x. K. pail ol Lunenburg. 



28 HISTORY OF ni'CHBlJKQ. 

ship of God in each of the said Towns, within the term of four years ; 
and to pay the charge of necessary surveys, and the Committee for 
their service in and about the premises ; and that the Committee give 
public notice of the time and place when and where they will meet to 
grant allotments. 

Consented to— Saml. Shute." 

These two townships were designated by the Committee appointed 
to allot and grant them out, as the North and South townships. The 
former was afterwards incorporated by the name of Townsend, in the 
county of Middlesex. The south township included the present town* 
of Lunenburg, Fitchburg and a large portion of Ashby. 

Whitney, and every other authority which I have seen, assert that 
this grant was made on the fourth of November, 1719. A copy of 
the grant is given on the first page of the book, containing an account 
of the doings of the Committee. It is as follows :— 

" At a Great and General Court or Assembly for his Majestie's 
Province of ye Massachusetts Bay, held Nov. 4, 1719, in ye House 
of Representatives," &c. This error of thirty-three days as to the 
date of the grant was probably made either by the Committee's being 
furnished with an imperfect copy of the act, or by a mistake of Fran- 
cis Fullam, the Committee's clerk, in copying it into their book. 
This latter was probably Whitney's authority, and it is not unlikely that 
others have followed him. However, the authority of the records of 
the General Court is not to be doubted. The act passed the House 
of Representatives and received the signature of the Governor on the 
7th of Dec. 1719, old style, which corresponds with the 18th of Dec. 
new style. 

Whitney's account thus proceeds :—" There is a hill, in the middle 
of the town, called Turkey Hill, on account of the great number of 
wild turkeys Avhich frermented the place in that day. It still retains 
the name ; and gave denomination to the whole tract previous to its 
incorporation." This account of Lunenburg in Whitney's History, 
(which was published in 1793) was entirely, prepared by Rev. Zabdiel 
Adams, then minister of Lunenburg, and certainly a good authority 
in the matters of his own day. This bill is now called - ( lark's Hill," 



HISTOR"? OS I rTCHBURG. 29 

raid is situated about two hundred rods southeasterly from the meeting 
house. I have enquired of several people who lived in Lunenburg 
previous- to the publication of Whitney's history, and hardly one is to be 
found who recollects that any one hill in particular was called Turkey 
Hill, but they say that Turkey Hills was the name given to "all the 
hills around" — not only to the hills in Lunenburg, but to the loftier 
hills in Fitchburg, which were equally the resort of immense numbers 
of wild turkeys, which found a favorite food in a plentiful supply of 
chestnuts and acorns there abounding. One or two individuals, 
however, are quite certain that Clark's Hill was once called Turkey 
Hill ; and it is their impression that it went by both names— that it 
generally was called Clark's Hill, though aged people still clung to 
its ancient designation. The name of Turkey Hill is now entirely 
superseded. 

There is indubitable evidence that the tract included in the whole 
south township was called, not Turkey Hill, but Turkey Hills. In the 
" Account of the General Courts Committees Proceedings," written 
in 1720, it is so called And in every other place where it occurs. 
it is written " Turkey Hills." 

What Indian name was given to this territory, is not known ; but 
the first name applied to it by white men. was Turkey Hills. 

When this order or grant of the General Court passed, Dec. 7th, 
1719, there was but one family residing in the territory of Turkey 
Hills. The head of this family was Samuel Page — universally desig- 
nated by the honorable title of " < >ld Governor Page." This pioneer 
of the wilderness and patriarch of Turkey Hills was born, as 1 have 
been informed, in this section of the country (probably in East Cam- 
bridge,) in 1671 or '2, and removed at an early age to South Carolina. 
From thence he returned in poverty, to Groton, in this state, where he 
remained but a short period, and, in the summer of 1718, moved 
westward into what was afterwards Lunenburg, where he remained 
till his death in 17 ! 7 . 



*The inscription upon hi^ grave si , executed in mde capitals, reads as follow s : 

" Here lies buried ye body of .Mr. Samuel Page. He was ye first thai settled ia than town, who 
departed this life Sept. je 7, A. D. 1717, in ye 76 year of liis »g 



80 HISTORY OF PITCHB1 KG. 

When the General Court's Committee, ( as they were styled) first 
visited the place in Dec. 1719, in the performance of their duty, they 
found Governor Page, whose faithful subjects were composed of his 
wife Martha, and several promising children, occupying a comfortable 
habitation on the southerly side of Clark's lull, a few rods to the rear 
of the ham belonging to the farm of Micah Marshall. It is directly 
opposite to the principal grave yard, little more than one mile in a 
southeasterly direction from the meeting house. Old Governor Page 
exercised not a little taste in the selection of his place of abode ; for 
\t is [not only one of the most beautiful situations, but the land there- 
abouts constitutes one of the best farms in the town. lie had, how- 
ever, no title to the land which he was cultivating, for it was then public 
domain, and belonged to his Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts 
Bay. Accordingly, when the Committee met at Concord, in 1720, 
for the purpose of granting out lots, Samuel Page purchased one for 
himself, and one for his sou Joseph. This Joseph w r as employed as a 
"chainman," when the town was first surveyed, and probably was 
about twenty years old. I am inclined to think that he was the 
Governor's eldest sou. This dignitary's nearest neighbors were at 
Groton on the east, at Lancaster on the south, and on the borders of 
the Connecticut river on the west. The record of the births of his 
children commences in 171*.', and enumerates six. Previous to this 
period there were born Joseph, Daniel, Nathaniel, David, John, and 
probably one or two more. One or more of them settled in Shirley. 
Joseph resided all his days in Lunenburg, (hie of them, (David) as 
L have been told, removed to the northerly parts of Vermont, and was 
the first settler of the town of Lunenburg, in Essex county. It is 
reported that lie afterwards returned to his native state, and dwelt in 
Petersham. 

An elderly gentlemen of Lunenburg, from whom these data were 
derived, remarked that he thought that the descendants of the last 
mentioned son had not entirely disappeared at the present day, and, 
in support of his opinion, related the following: — This Page, having a 
roving disposition ami a speculative casl of mind, t >ok it into his head. 



HISTORY OF FITCHBURG. >1 

when quite young, that he could make more money by trading with 
tli.' Indians, than by cutting down forest trees and cultivating the soil. 
Accordingly, he directed his course towards Canada, and commenced 
purchasing beaver and otter shins of the ignorant natives upon this 
principle, — that his foot weighed just four pounds and his hand one 
pound. Tins they seemed to doubt, but were soon satisfied by his 
making the declaration that it was as fair for one party as the other, 
since he weighed off to them, by the same weights, his powder, tobacco, 
shot, &c. This grand field for making an honest living was, however, 
soon closed; for some other traders coming that way, explained the 
trick to the Indians, and the Old Governor's speculating son had to 
decamp very suddenly — weights and all — to save his life. 

It appears from the town records of Lunenburg, that "John Page, 
ve son of Samuel Pap 1 , died at Jamaica, being there on the Spanish 
expedition, Dec. 20th, 1T4<), as they hear." 

David Page was undoubtedly among the earliest — perhaps the first 
of the settlers in that part of Lunenburg which is now Fitchburg. 
The birth of his eldest child is dated Oct. 1735. Some of the aged 
people of this town think that the first settlement made within our 
present precinct, by a white man, was on the place now owned by 
James L. Haynes — and that the occupant was sometimes called Gov- 
ernor Page. Others say that David Page lived there, hut from how 
early a period they cannot tell. Perhaps the title of Governor, 
appended to this Page, was a hereditary privilege, or these informants 
may have blended the accounts of the two Pages in their minds. 
There can be but little douht as to the residence of Old Governor 
Page near the centre of Lunenburg; for the land on which the first 
pound was built, and for a "passage to and from the same." was 
purchased of him, and the Governor himself was elevated to the office 
of pound-keeper. 

There is, however, strong circumstantial evidence that the first 
settlement within what is now Fitchburg, was made ly a man named 
Page — that his house stood a few rods westerly of the house of 
James L. Haynes, a short distance south of the present travelled road, 



82 HISTORY OF FITCHBURG. 

and near the small brook which flows there. This house was "garri- 
soned," that is, sticks of timber, hewn on two sides to about the 
thickness of six inches, were firmly driven into the ground so close 
together as to touch. This kind of barricade extended around the 
house at the distance of about ten feet from it. Port-holes were made 
through this of sufficient dimensions to allow the fire of musketry. 
These fortified houses, called Grarrisom, were frequently a good 
defence against the attacks of the natives. This Page turned the 
above mentioned small brook from its natural course, and made it flow 
for some distance under ground, and then through his garrison. This 
was done that, if menaced by the savages, he might sit securely in 
his habitation and defy their efforts. 

Having thus treated of the family of Old Governor Page, the con- ■ 
sideration of the affairs pertaining to the township of Turkey Hills 
may be resumed. 

The Committee appointed by the act of Dec. 7th, 1719, to allot 
and grant out the township, commenced their duties on the 21st of the 
same month, and began the survey. Besides other expense incurred 
by the Committee, the future proprietors were charged with the sum 
of 12.?. 6d. old tcn»r* "for Bisket, Cheese & Jenger to carry into ye 
woods." The survey was resumed and completed in April of the 
following year.f 



*As many. of my readers, at the present day, would probably find it difficult to determine the dif- 
ference between "Old Tenor' and "Lawful Money," I will here add that in the year 1702, recourse 
was had in the New England provinces to a paper currency, to support the expenses of government, 
and furnish a substitute for a circulating medium. The bills purported that they would be redeemed 
at a certain time, which was done at first, but it soon became customary to redeem them by new 
emissions. This being done pretty liberally, they began to depreciate in value. In Massachusetts, 
where their value was kept up better than in the other provinces, the depreciation was at the rate of 
seven and a half for one in specie. This currency acquired the name of Old Tenor — seven shillings 
and six pence being equal to only one shilling in silver, which was called "Lawful money," or nine 
pence sterling of Great Britain. 

In the year 1750, the government of Great Britain made a grant of a sum of money to Massachu- 
setts, to remunerate the province for its exertions in the late war with France. Governor Hutchinson 
proposed that thi« sum, which was sent over in dollars and parts of dollars, should be appropriated 
to redeem the whole of the bills of credit of the province. This proposition, after much opposition, 
was carried into effect ; and eventually it was productive of much good. Accordingly the circulation 
of Old Tenor bills was finally stopped on the 31st of March, 1750. The last large emission of Old 
'lYn.T bills was made l>y Governor Shirley, in order to defray the expenses of the expedition againsi 
the island of Cape Breton, in 1745. This he did contrary to the express orders of the king to put a 
xtop to them ; but as the plan was successful no notice was taken of this breach of orders. 

-fit will be recollected that the Committee were directed to make the new township six miles square. 
An inspection of the map of Lunenburg shows that this order was not executed. A corner of Leom- 
>B»t*r projects considerably into the southwest part of the town. When the second grant was mad© 



HISTORY OF FITCHBURG. 33 

On the 11th of May the Committee met at Concord, when the 
grantees entered their names for lots. They were obliged to pay at 
this time the sum of fifty shillings, old tenor, (#1.11) and obligated 
themselves to pay a like sum when they should finally draw their lots. 
If any individual refused to pay the last fifty shillings, he incurred a 
forfeiture of his lot, and of his first payment. The eighty lots were 
subscribed for, and the sum of 183?. 10s ($81.54) paid. Of the 
eighty individuals whose names were subscribed, seventeen belonged 
to Concord, fifteen to Groton, four to Needham, and the others to 
Newbury, Bradford, Reading, Boxford, Weston, Watertown, &c. 
< >nly one person's residence is put down at "Turkey Hills." This is 
Samuel Page, who subscribed for two lots — one for himself, and one 
for his son Joseph. 

In May, 1721, the Committee again met at Concord, when the 
grantees drew their lots and paid for them in full. At this time five 
more grantees had been admitted, notwithstanding that the south 
township was "almost full." The number of grantees was subse- 
quently increased to ninety. 

It will he recollected that, according to the act of the General 
Court, each grantee was to receive two hundred and fifty acres. 
Twenty-two thousand five hundred acres would thus be disposed of. 
Then a lot was reserved for the first settled minister, for the school, 
for Harvard College, and there was a ministerial lot. At the first 
division, forty-five acres, "and that to be the standard of the best 
land," were allotted to each man — and if any happened to be of an 
inferior quality, five or more acres were added to it, "to make each 
lot equal." 

This, it will be perceived, was taking but a small portion of the 
whole township. Accordingly, in January, 1724, a second division of 
about sixty acres additional was made. The meadows, were also 
divided into lots and annexed to the several "upland" lots ; and thus 



to Lancaster in 1713, (which grant was incorporated into Leominster in 1740) the Indiana ami whites, 
who "ran" the line, first watered their horses at Massapog pond, and then proceeded in a straight 
line tn the southern point of Oonkeshewalom pond. This was the boundary line between the domains 

of the whites ami naj 



84 HISTORY OF FfTCIIBURG. 

they proceeded, making division after division, till nearly all the town- 
ship of Turkey Hills was taken up by the original proprietors, or their 
assigns. 

There is one circumstance connected with the grant of the General 
Court worthy of notice. The limits of the new township, according 
to that act, were not to exceed six miles square. Yet Turkey Hills 
embraced the present towns of Lunenburg, Fitchburg, and not a small 
portion of Ashby. It would puzzle a surveyor of the present day not 
a little, to discover bow the worthy and conscientious progenitors of 
Turkey Hills contrived to get all this territory in a space of six miles 
square; for Fitchburg alone is more than six and a half miles long, 
and nearly four and a half broad — Lunenburg is of about the same 
size — and add the part afterwards set off to Ashby in 17(37, and we 
have a territory equal to twelve miles in length and six in breadth, 
containing, at the least calculation, forty-five thousand acres. 

No one, however, seems to have found fault with the survey, 
and certainly people at this late period, ought to remain satisfied 
with it. 

In 1724 the grantees began to move into the town and occupy their 
respective lots. The first house built by Old Governor Page has 
already been mentioned. The second dwelling house,* as I have 
been told, was built by Edward Hartwell, Esqr.,f on or near the place 



*I have not satisfactorily ascertained whether this house, or the one near the oentre of the town, 
(marked 115 on the map of L.) owned by B. G. Whiting, and occupied by the Widow Goodridge and 
Daniel II. Humphries, was erected first. The latjer was undoubtedly built as early as 1724, by 
Thomas Prentice, Esq., and was afterwards, and for along peiiod, occupied by Capt. Joshua Hutchens, 
as a pub ic house. 

file was not only one of the earliest settlers, but for a long period he was deservedly one of the most 
influential persons of the place. lie possessed a stiong mind and an education superior to that 
of most of his fellow citizens lie was continually cal ed upon to fill the most important offices in 
the town. He was one of those individuals, whose sound judgment and eneigy so well qualify them 
to take the lead in the affairs of a new settlement, when the influence of such persons is so essential 
to its prosperity. Whenever any impoitant or extraordinary business was to be accomplished, 
Edward Uaitwell was called upon to take the charge ofit. lie passed through seveial grades of office 
in the militia, and finally attained the dignity of major— an office at that time of more importance 
than that of a major general at the present day. In this capacity he took the lead in scouring the 
woods, when the peop'e \ve v e alarmed by the movements of ihi Indions. He was a justice of the 
peace; and, in 1750, be was appointed a Judge of the Com ominon Pleas, which office hi held 

till 1762. lie was the representative of Hie t<>\w. fo ears, even till lie was 

upwards of eightj years ol age. lie was also a I ; - finally he died,"' as 

Whitney's Historj says, " in the ninety -seventh yeai ol 



HISTORY OF PITCHBURG. 35 

now occupied by Stephen Gibson. It is about three and a half miles 
in a Southerly direction from the centre of Lunenburg, on the Lancas- 
ter road. This individual, who exercised a great influence over the 
rising fortunes of the new township, came from Lancaster as early as 
1724 — perhaps earlier. The third was built by Dea. Philip Good- 
ridge, on the place now occupied by his grandson, Phinehas Goodridge, 
<>n the road leading to Lancaster, about three miles in a southerly 
direction from the middle of Lunenburg. This house was built in 
the Autumn of 1724, or early in 172.3. This Dea. Goodridge died 
in January, 1720, and, as I have been informed, was the first person 
interred in the principal grave yard of Lunenburg.* I find the 
deaths of several individuals recorded previous to this time, but where 
they were buried I do not know. 

At a meeting of the General Court's committee, March 16th, 
172ii, it appears from information then laid before them, that there 
were twenty-six houses raised, "and ten of them settled and inhabited." 
Of these, though the larger portion was probably near the centre of 
Lunenburg, some may have been in that part which is now Fitchburg. 
But this is a very doubtful matter. 

. Among the names which appear on the records at an early 
date, are those of Benoni Boynton,f John Grout,$ Moses Gould, 
Samuel Johnson,^ Josiah Willard, || Nathan Heywood,^[ Jonas 



*The inscription upon his grave stout' reads thus : — 

" Here Ijes ye Body of Mr. L'hilip Goodridge (2d son of Mr. Joseph and Martha Goodridge) Who 
was bom at Newbury and died at Lunenburg, Jan. 10, 1728-9 in the 60 year of Lis age. 
The first Man interred in this Place.' 1 

tile probably lived near wheie 0. & J. Peabody now reside, about one and a half miles in a direc- 
tion N. N. W. from the meeting house. 

JHe had no fixed habitation, ami probably neTer owned any real estate in Lunenburg. He was a 
spi culating, moveable being, and, if any thing, waa a pettifogger bj trade. 

This Johnson is said to have lived where Luther Far well now lives — about halfa mile northeasterly 
from the Methodist meetinghouse. 

||Capt. (afterwards Col.) Josiah Willard lived on the " Biliings pltice," on the Lancaster road, a 
little more th n two miles in a southerly direction from Lunenburg meeting house. He was a worthy 
man and had a gieat share of influence in the affairs of the infant settlement. 

•Nathan Heywqpd "settled" in the southern sti emlty of the town, on the Lancaster road, where 
Oliver Whitney now dwells, II -was a man of considerable note, having been appointed Deputy 
Sheriff, ami afterwaids Ciier of the eon its. lie also kept in his house what, in those days, wan digui- 
lied with the name of store, but on a very limited scale. 



36 HISTORY Oi? FITCHBURGr. 

Glllson, Daniel Austen,* Joshua Hutchens, Thomas Prentice,! 
&c, &c. 

Several years after the grant of the General Court, much com- 
plaint began to arise concerning the speculations which now began to 
be manifest among the original proprietors — for then, as in modern 
days, there appeared a strong desire of turning every thing into a 
money-making matter. Several of the purchasers, totally disregard- 
ing the conditions of the grant, and the injunctions of the Committee, 
neglected to perform any labor on their lots, and kept them from 
others likely to settle them. Inasmuch as they "traded them from 
one man to another, for excessive gain and prices, which practice was 
directly contrary to the written conditions and provisos upon which 
each person had his lot of the Committee," these latter proceeded to 
declare several lots forfeited, and sold them to other persons, from 
whom more obedience might be expected. After this summary 
proceeding, no more complaint was made concerning land speculations. 

In November 1727, the General Court's Committee voted that the 
proprietors should forthwith proceed to the erection of a meeting 
house, to be not less than forty-five feet in length and thirty-five in 
breadth. From the diminutive size of this house it may be inferred 
that Turkey Hills, at this period, did not contain many families ; yet 
they had already conceived thoughts of rejecting the further tutelage 
of the Committee appointed by the Great and General Court, and of 
setting up for themselves. They began to bestir themselves in the 
matter of procuring an act of incorporation, and the meeting house, 
proposed by the Committee, was not built. Yet they were not entirely 
without religious instruction, though they had no meeting house. May 
15th, 1728, Rev. Andrew Gardner was settled as minister of Turkey 
Hills. The meetings, of course, were held in private dwellings. 

Mr. Gardner was graduated at Harvard ' University in the year 
1712. In the Autumn of 1719 he was ordained the first minister of 



*Daniel Austen : s habitation was where Calvin Eaton lately lived. 

tThe house built by Thomas Prentice, Esqr., and afterwards occupied by Capt. Joshua Uutchens, 
has already been mentioned in a precediug note. 



HIST0M 01 PITCHB1 RG. 

Worcester. Here he remained till his dismission in October, l~±2. 
Where he was during the interval between this time and his instal- 
ment at Turkey Hills, I do not know. He built and occupied the 
house now standing on the west side of Clark's Hill, and now the 
residence of the heirs of David Wood, 2d. It has quite an air of 
antique decay about it — a small portion of the old diamond form 
glass still remaining in some of the windows. 

It was voted to raise the sum of 80/, ($35.55) on landed estate, for 
the annual salary of the minister for the next six years. This is 
apparently a very inadequate sum ; hut it will be recollected that 
money then, in consequence of its scarcity, was much more valuable 
than now — transactions between individuals being carried on princi- 
pally by barter,— and that it was intended that the minister should 
derive his principal support from the lands appropriated by the Gen- 
eral Court. Dissatisfaction soon arose between Mr. Gardner and his 
people. He accordingly asked for a dismission, which the town voted 
in February, 1732 ; and the church received his acquittance and gave 
him a discharge from his pastoral relations in the November following.* 
He thus continued in the pastoral office about four and a half years. 
and gave his receipt for his settlement and salary during this period, 
to the town, for the sum of 394/. 12s ($175.3±) He remained in 
the town several years after this, and was employed as the first school- 
master — the school being kept in his own house. He was also allowed 
the privilege of building, at his own charge, "a sufficient pew at the 
right hand of going in at the great doors of the meeting house" — 

•The following is a copy of a request er proposition submitted by Mr. Gardner to his chureli, 
-. pteml er, 1730. 
To the Brethren •of the Church of Christ in Lunenburg: 

Beloved Brethren— I cannot but think, from what I have heard, and also from what I have observed, 
of the transactions and behaviour of this peop'e relating to me and my affairs, that there is not that 
affection borne towards me that '.here should be /rum a people to their Gospel minister, or that then- 
is where a people are likely duly to profit under their minister,— the consideration whei 1' has be< I 

very grevous and discouraging t" me. afed therefore think it, best to separate;— and if effectual care 
be taken that my dues be honestly paid me, the first minister's lot with its appurtenances be put upon 
record and accepted, and a sufficient 1'ew at the right hand of going in at the great doors of the meet 

ing house, I shall be free to be dismissed from mj pastoral relation, office, and obligation to yo*u, as 
soon as it can regularly be performed. 

From your loving Pastor, who wislietfa vui the Divine direction and blessing, and desires your 

prayers for the same to aim, Asdbew Gardner, Pastor. 

Lunenburg, Sept l v . I7.':>' 



88 HISTORY OF FITCIIBURG. 

which was a very honorable station. He finally removed to New 
Hampshire, nigh to Connecticut river, where he died at a very 
advanced age. 

The reasons of this dismission, so far as I have been able to learn 
them, appear to be these : — He was not a man of that grave and 
sober demeanor, which the people of his time thought essential to the 
sacredness of his office. He was apt to indulge in a levity of maimer 
on the Sa' bath, which was not in keeping with the solemnity of the 
day. He Lad also quite a predilection for hunting, and, it is said, 
wild turkeys and other game, even on the Sabbath, sometimes bore 
testimony of his skill as a marksman. For the truth of these reports 
I cannot vouch. 

On the first day of August, 1728, the proprietors of Turkey Hills, 
with their lands, were incorporated by the name of Lunenburg, in the 
county of Middlesex. It was so named in compliment to George II 
who, in the preceding year, succeeded to the British throne. One of 
his titles was Duke of Lunenburg, he having a town or province of 
that name in his German dominions. 

The first "town" meeting was held at the house of "Ensign Jona- 
than Willard,"* on the 19th of the same month, by authority of an 
order in Council, directed to " Capt. Josiah Willard, a principal 
inhabitant," &c. The first "Selectmen" were James Colburn, Josiah 
Willard, Ililkiah Boynton, Ephraim Pearce, Samuel (Gov.) Page. 

In Sept/ it was voted to raise the sum of £200 ($88.88) for build- 
ing and finishing a meeting house, " so far as it is will do or answer 
therefor." This, the first meeting house, a building of small dimen- 
sions and a mere shell, was located a few rods to the north of the 
dwelling house of Edmund Cushing, and nearly opposite to the present 
Town Meeting House. A pulpit and "a body of sects" were built 
in 1731. The persons, "preferred" to have pews, had to build them 
at their own cost. A committee was chosen "to state places for 
building the pews, and order who shall have them," and it was further 



*The house which first had the honor of containing the people of Lunenburg assembled in their 
corporate capacity, is now owned bj Jacob lladley. and situated on the Lancaster road, about one and 
a hall miles distant from the meeting house. 



HISTORY OF FITCHBURG. 39 

ordered "that the rule the committee shall go by shall be according 
to the inhabitants' improvements and stations, and having some regard 
to pay." In April, 1733, in was voted to finish the galleries in the 
meeting house, and to Imild "stears up into them."* 

The worthy people of Lunenburg took good and seasonable care 
that all vagrants and rogues should meet with their deserts: and 
accordingly in 17o2, they voted " the sum of eight shillings for 
building a pair of stocks." 

In 1720 they chose Capt. Josiah Willard their agent "to join with 
others to consider what may be best in order to divide the county of 
Middlesex."' This object was effected April 2d, 1731, when Worces- 
ter County was incorporated. At this time grand and "Petty" 
jurymen were chosen by the people in town meeting assembled. 

In a little more than two years after this, attempts were made to 
form a new county out of the counties of Worcester and Middlesex, 
of which Groton was to he the shire town. These attempts in a short 
time were abandoned. 

The subject of schools appears to have first engaged the attention 
of the town in 1782, when Rev. Mr. Gardner was employed to teach 
a school for three months, in his own house. Next year it was kept 
at the houses of several individuals in rotation, and in Dec. 17->4, 40/. 
($17.77) were voted for a "Lawfull School," "for the year past 
and present." In 1735 the selectmen were directed to provide for a 
school "according to the best manner for the town's safety and 
interest," and the year following they were directed "to hire School 
Dames as they shall see fit, and otherwise as the Law requires." In 
17-57, 50?. and in 1738,60?. ($26.66) were appropriated towards the 
support of schools. During six months of the latter year, tl School 
Dames " were employed. 

Jn 17f<> the town resolved to Imild two "school housen," one at the 
north and one at the south end. Buf this vote was soon reconsidered, 



'In 17:!''.. the town "granted all the room behind the front gallerj in tin- meetinghouse to .Tona. 
Wood, Samuel Reed, Phinchas Osgood, Ezekiel Wyman, David Page, Sit]. inn Boynton, John t'itcli 
& Jona. Ibbott, for to build i loi t for themselves and -wives forever ti set in." 



■iO HISTORY OF PITCHBUEG. 

and they resolved to build one school house near the meeting house — 
and all persons residing more than two miles distant from it, had 
liberty to support schools among themselves, the money which they 
paid to the town for this purpose being refunded to them. "Whether 
this school house was ever built I do not know, as, for the several 
Subsequent years, the school committee were directed to provide places 
to keep the school in, and to move it as they thought best. 

Some years after this, the town resolved to build four school houses 
in the four quarters of the town, but they could not determine upon the 
place for their location. The schools continued to be kept in different 
quarters of the town till Fitchburg was set off. The money for their 
support was gradually increased from 25/. to 50/. in bills of credit. 
The exact sum cannot easily be estimated in consequence of the 
depreciation in the value of the bills. 

Immediately after the dismission of Mr. Gardner, in the Autumn 
of 1732, Rev. David Stearns,* of Watertown, was hired to preach, 
He was invited to become the Pastor of Lunenburg in th© February 
following, and ho was ordained in April. f He received a settlement 
of 3007,, 200/. of which were paid the same year and 100/. the 
following year. His salary was to be 120/. in "bills of credit," per 
annum, to be increased 5/. per annum, till it should amount to 140/. 
"to he qualified by the present value." 

Generally speaking, during the ministry of Mr. Stearns, the town 
enjoyed a profound peace in their ecclesiastical affairs. They went 
through the process of building a new meeting house, and of course 
were not exempt from the troubles and divisions usually consequent 
on these occasions. 

Mr. Stearns occupied the dwelling house which stands immediately 
north of the present Methodist meeting house, where John Thompson 



*Mr. Steams was graduated at Harvard College in 1728. lie was one of fonrteen children (by the 
same mother) who followed their father to the grave. Mr. Stearns himself became the father of thir- 
teen children. One of his daughters subsequently was married to Rev. Zabdie] Adams, of Lunenburg, 
and was the mother of eleven children. 

tOn this occasion the sum of 28?. 18s. 6d. " was paid to Col. Josiah Willard for entertaining the 
Ordination Counccll." It was raised, "one half on the Pools, and one half on th« Estates'*— as tlw 
Records state- 



HISTORY OF FIT< ETBURG. I | 

now dwells. In 1736 and '7, and several subsequent years, additional 
Bums of 25?. and 30?. were appropriated to '"make good" his salary, 
in consequence of the depreciation of money. 

The currency, at this period, was in a wretched condition. Bills 
of credit had been issued so early as 1690, to meet the expenses of 
the expedition against Canada. The expensi of the wars for several 
years caused an extensive issue of these bills, beyond the means of 
the province to redeem them, and they consequently began to sink in 
value. There was not specie enough, even in the country, to redeem 
them; the bills themselves causing the precious metals to disappear. 
In 1714, a public bunk was established, loaning bills on land security. 
These continued to sink in value, causing so much loss to the commu- 
nity. The 1 >ills were loaned on mortgage, with interest, and one-fifth 
part of the principal payable annually. When the time of payment 
arrived, the paper money having sunk below its nominal value, the 
creditors were obliged to pay a much larger amount of it, or sacrifice 
their estates in payment of the mortgages. It was attempted to 
relieve this state of things by extending the limits of payment, but 
this course served only to prolong this state of things. The most 
intelligent men of the time were ignorant of what are now deemed 
the first principles of banking. 

The land bank of 1741, like that of 171-1, Loaned bills, taking real 
estate for security, but possessed no means of redeeming them. In 
1749, specie was introduced from England, in payment of the provin- 
cial expenses in the expedition to Cape Breton. This, in a greai 
degree, cheeked the evil. 

In 1749, after having used their tirsf. meeting-house for twenty 
year-, the town passed a vote for building a new house f<»r public 
worship, and appropriated the sum of 300?. -new tenor," ($1000) 
for the purpose. The building committee were instructed to let out. 
the job to some one man, who would do the work "cheapest and best." 
This house, which was demolished but a few years since, was located 
slope of the hill, a lew rod,- I if the present 



42 HISTORY OP FITCHBUEG. 

meeting-house, on the spot now occupied by the school-house last built 
in the centre district. 

The town voted 31. 5s. 5d. "to pay for the Rum and other articles 
used at the raising of the meeting-house," and "18s. Sd. to Josiah 
Dodge for the use of his Rope," on the same occasion. The conduct 
of the building committee, though they probably exerted themselves 
to have the work done "cheapest and best," did not give satisfaction. 
When they had expended the sum of 5221. it was not allowed to them 
by the town; and a motion was made in town meeting to "proceed 
against them in the steps of the laws," hut this did not prevail. The 
difficulty was afterwards adjusted, and the committee was paid. 

Mr. Stearns continued to preach till his death, whieh occurred in 
March, 1761. His funeral expenses were defrayed by the town. 
They also voted to his brothers "weeds and gloves, to bis sisters, veils, 
handkerchiefs, gloves and fans, and to his sons-in-law, weeds and 
gloves." The whole of Mr. Stearns' salary for 1761, was paid to 
his widow. 

The condition of the highways, in the early history of the town. 
can hardly be imagined at the present time. For the most part they 
were merely "bridle paths," winding through the woods, over one hill 
after another, and making the travelled distance between two places 
nearly double what it is now. Wheel carriages had not then been 
introduced. Travelling was performed on horseback. In order that 
people might not lose their direction, trees were marked on one side 
of the way. A few roads, which would soon prove the destruction of 
one of our modern carriages, were laid out at an early season, near to 
the centre of the town. Rut in that part of the town which is now 
Fitchburg, there was nothing of the kind, till, in 1743, a committee 
was chosen " to lay out and mark a way to the west line of our town, 
in order to answer the recpiest of the Honorable Thomas Rerry, Esqr., 
in behalf of Ipswich Canada, (Winchendon) and to accommodate 
Dorchester Canada, (Ashburnham ) and the new towns above us." 
The two most important roads, which led from this part of the town 
to the centre, were the one by David Page's (J. L. Haynes') and 



HISTORY OF ! in ii in RG, 4^ 

corresponding nearly with what is now denominated the old road, and 
the one by David Goodridge's, who lived on the place now occupied 
1 > v Wm. Bemis, near the brick factorj at South Fitchburg. 

In 174") the Town voted "'that the men that live in the bounds of 
Maj. Hartwell's company build the bridge over the North Branch in 
the way that goes to David Goodridge's, and the bridge over the sd. 
North Branch in the way that goes to David Page's." At the same 
time, the men residing in the bounds of Capt. Willard's company were 
directed to build the bridge over "Mullepus Brook," in the northerly 
part of Lunenburg. The first of these bridges was where the arched 
bridge is in South Fitchburg, and the second near to where the stone 
mill is, in the "Old City." In 1748, the road was laid out from the 
"•south side of Appletree Hill," over the bridge in the Old City, 
thence over the hill, and so on to Narrhagansett No. 2, (Westmin- 
ster. ) 

The bridge near David Goodridge's was rebuilt in 1749, and at the 
same time a new one was built between James Poole's (where Joseph 
Farnsworth now lives) and Narrhagansett. This bridge was probably 
near Osborn's mills. In 1750, the selectmen were empowered to rut 
away the trees in the road to Dorchester Canada. At this time the 
annual expense of maintaining the highways was about equal to the 
salary of the minister, viz: — 60?. '"lawful money." It was after- 
wards increased by the necessary expenses of the roads in the westerly 
part of the town. 

What little communication there was between Lunenburg and * w the 
new towns above," was principally made through the road by David. 
Page's, already mentioned. Tins road probably passed the village of 
Fitchburg, nearly in the same place with the present travelled way. 
It then wound up the hill by Enoch Caldwell's — over Flat rock — 
through the land lately owned by Sylvanus Lapham — and thence to 
what was then Lunenburg west line, and into Dorchester < 'auada. John 
Scott, who lived where Benj. Scott now resides, had been for a long 
time desirous of a more direct route to the centre of Lunenburg: but 
the town would not accede to his wishes. He accordingly procured a 



14 HISTORY OF PITCHBURQ. 

Court's committee, who laid the present Scott road, "to the great 
satisfaction of Mr. John Scott," as the Records say. This road 
passed from the middle of Lunenburg by the log house where John 
Catties, Jr., now lives, then by Ebenezer Bridge's, where Deacon 
Jaquith now resides, and then by Scott's own house, and so on to the 
road before mentioned. This Scott road was for some years quite a 
celebrated thoroughfare, and used to be called the Crown Point road. 
Who were the earliest settlers in the territory which now constitutes 
the town of FitGhburg, it is impossible to determine with accuracy. 
Enough has been said respecting David Page. John Scott, above 
mentioned, appears to have been residing on his farm in 1734 — how 
much earlier I cannot tell. In this year was recorded the birth of his 
eldest son Edward. Jonathan Wood, who was a man of considerable 
note, was living on the place where Widow Grace Wood lately lived 
(the last house in Fitchburg previous to passing Baker's bridge,) in 
IT-)-"), when the birth of his first child was recorded. It is probable 
that he had been living there for some time. Samuel Poole lived 
on Charles Beckwith's place before 1740, and his brother James 
Poole was living at the same time where Joseph Farnsworth now 
lives. David Goodridge, at quite an early period, commenced on 
his farm at South Fitchburg. His house was partly on, or very 
near to, the spot now occupied by the dwelling house of William 
Bemis. David Carlile lived where there is (or lately was) a cellar 
hole near to tin' bridge over Baker's brook, on the road leading to 
Isaiah Putnam's. Before 1745, Isaac Gibson was living where widow 
Prudence Gibson no'w resides, and his brother Reuben, where Arling- 
ton Gibson lives. Timothy Bancroft lived on the farm now owned 
by Joseph Marshall. Ephraim Whitney lived where Stephen Lowe 
now lives — Thomas Dutton on Capt. Benjamin Wheeler's place — 
William Henderson on Abel F. Adams' farm- — John White on the 
French place, now occupied by William Wyman. 

In the year 1745 or '6, Amos Kimball, and his cousin Ephraim 
moved from Bradford into this town. Amos built the house where 
Sam'l Hale now lives, and Ephraim the house on the Story farm. They 



HIST0R1 01 FITCIIBURT3. 15 

probably owned land down to the river, and s i up the same, including 
Rollstone. They built a gristmill witli one run of stones, soon after 
they came hei . place where the stone faci >rv n >w stands. 

The dam which they built is said to have been not more than fortj 
feet in length, in consequence of a natural bank, on the south side of 
the river, confining the water to a narrow channel at this place. This 
dam was made of a log laid across the river, having "spoilings" 
driven in above it. Almost every year a freshet would sweep round 
the south end of the Jam and oblige them to extend if several feet 
further. 

The Kimballs, living at rather too exeat a distance to take imme- 
diate charge of their mill, they employed one Hodgkins for tender. 
He built for himself a little hut or stall on the'ground between I. 
Phillips' store and the house below. This habitation of Hodgkins was 
the first building, with the exception of the mill, erected in what is 
now the Old City. 

At this time Samuel Poole had a garrison — Cant. Samuel Hunt, 
who lived where David Page previously lived, hail one — there was 
one at Isaac Gibson's, ami one at Joseph SpafFord's. 

Between the years L740 and 1750, the Indians did not cease to 
keep the inhabitants of the frontier towns. — and this town may fairly 
haw 1 been considered as such — in a state of constant alarm. England 
at this time was waging a war with France ; and their colonist- 
suffered dreadfully from the incursions and attacks of the savages, 
who were instigated by the French in Canada. The French govern- 
ment paid a large bounty for English scalps, and a still larger one for 
English prisoners. Prisoners were also ransomed for large sums of 
money, which was a further inducement to the Indians to save their 
prisoners' alive. Though tin' war with France was (dosed hv the treaty 
of Ai\ la Chapelle,in 17JS, the dread of Indian depredations did not 
till several year.- after. Indian scouts were frequently reported 
to have been seen — alarms, many of which undoubtedly arose from 
false apprehensions, were excited — and fears were daily aroused from 
a consciousness of insecurity. 



46 HISTORY OF FITCHBURS. 

In the summer of 1747, a body of Indians made their appearance 
within the borders of this town, and committed several acts of dep- 
redation. As this was the only occasion, of which we have 
authentic accounts, that the Indians made their appearance in this 
town, as enemies, I have thought that it would not prove uninteresting 
to notice the incursion with some decree of particularity. 

Besides the bounty paid in Canada for English prisoners, and the 
exposed condition of this settlement, another reason for the attack 
upon this place, as I have been informed, was the following : — 

There was living at this time, in the neighborhood of Mr. John 
Fitch, who then, resided upon a spot very near to the place where the 
brick house of Oliver Kendall stands, in Ashby, a certain half-tamed 
[ndian, called Surdody. This part of Ashby was then included in 
Lunenburg. Mr. Fitch accidentally felled a tree, one day, onto the 
wigwam of Surdody, while the latter was absent on some hunting 
expedition. Surdody, on his return home at evening, found his dwell- 
ing crushed to the earth, and his wrath was kindled. Fitch did not 
seek him with an apology, or with any offer of reparation ; neither 
did Surdody request any recompense of, or shower any reproaches 
upon his white neighbor, lie sought a recompense more congenial 
with the Indian disposition, lie immediately took up his line of 
march for the north, and soon laid his grievances before his copper- 
coloured brethren in Canada. He described to them the defenceless 
state of the whites in this region, and prevailed upon a band of them 
to accompany him back upon a laudable expedition of vengeance and 
booty. 

Mr. Fitch, feeling insecure, had previously petitioned the govern- 
ment for assistance. Two soldiers, named Jennings and Blodgett, 
were accordingly stationed ;i t his house, for his protection. Upon the 
arrival of the Indians, some of them posted themselves in lurking 
positions about Fitch's dwelling — a body of them passing over the hill 
where John Turner lives, to the hill where William Coggswell and 
Edmund Proctor live, and even to the south part of the town, to the 
h 11 where Stephen Houghton lives, lurked about in the thick woods 



HISTORY Of PITCHBURG. 47 

there, to take a view of the state of things in Lunenburg. As it 
happened to be Sunday, and as our fathers were more in the habit of 
going to meeting than their descendants at the present day, the 
Indians were not a little surprised and disappointed at seeing such a 
concourseof white faces, and men armed for attack — for at that time 
people went armed to church. Tliev accordingly skulked back to 
their comrades, telling them that the pale faces were as thick as the 
leaves in the forest, and that it was utterly hopeless to attack them 
there. But they determined not to go back empty-handed. So they 
killed an ox which was quietly browsing in the woods; made an encamp- 
ment, roasted their beef, and made merry with one another. This camp 
was afterwards discovered in a field then belonging to John Scott, and 
is not a great distance from McTntire's saw-mill, on the Scott road. 
It was (if it is not now) called the camp pasture, from this circum- 
stance. 

Before making an attack upon John Fitch, they divided into 
parties, and reconnoitered the neighborhood. On the brow of Pearl 
Hill they anxiously looked down upon the Gibsons, and longed to lay 
their hands on them. But these giants, whose size and strength 
would have done honor to the days of chivalry, were hardy looking 
men, and to use the words of one of their descendants, "the Indians 
didn't dare to tackle them.'" In a kind of cave on the hill were after- 
wards found a gun barrel, an axe, and several implements of Indian 
manufacture — supposed to have been left here on this occasion. 

They proceeded to David < roodridge's, one evening, and one of them, 
as he afterwards informed Mr. Fitch, when in captivity, climbed into 
a tree near to the house, for the purpose of reconnoitering the premises 
through the window. 

He saw a white squaw feeding her papoose with milk. They 
retired from this house without doing any damage. 

On the following day. Mr. Goodridge was out oh horseback, in 
search of a COW, which did not return home the previous night. He 
was on the hill, near the place where S. Ward Harris now lives, when 
the Indians suddenly started up in the ] ath, a lew paces in IVour of 



£$ HISTORY OF FITCHBUEG. 

him, and commanded him to surrender. Tic immediately turned his 
horse in order to retreat, when lo! another Indian, completely armed, 
faced him there to cut him off in that direction. He then made a 
circuit, aiming to come down the hill towards Kimball's mills. The 
gavage ran in a direct line to eat him off in this direction also. It 
was a fair race, but the horseman gained upon the footman — and as 
Goodridge passed in front, the Indian, perceiving that it was in vain 
to thing of taking him alive, fired — bui ately, owing to the 

rapidity of Goo motion, oi missed his mark. 

The leaps of the horse down the I of the hill were afterwards 

measured, and found to be eighteen feet in length. 

In his flight, G< odridge lest his hat, and the Indians secured it as a 
trophy. It is not a little remarkable that, about ten years after this, 
in the succeeding war, an Indian was taken somewhere on Connect- 
icut river, having on his head the identical hat of Deacon David 
Goodridge, not much the worse for wear. On his getting clear of the 
Indians, Goodridge betook himself to Page's garrison, and an alarm 
was forthwith fired. In a short time men. poured in from Lunenbuirg, 
and even from Groton. It is worthy of notice that in two hours after 
die alarm was given, a Major Wizard, with, a company of cavalry, 
arrived at the garrison from Lee: 

The Indians, upon the alarm being gi i tired to the top of 

Rollstone, from wh ommand a view of the movements 

beneath them, and o >tion, and people flocking 

in from abroad, they thought i able to withdraw into some 

i place. 

It was on the following morning, according to the accounts of aged 
people, that the garrison of John Fitch was attacked. He lived at 
this time several mil'.,- distant from his nearest neighbors, and was 
the farthesl west of them all. His family consisted of himself, 
wife, four children, (one son and three daughters,) and the two 
soldiers already mentioned. One of these, on going out of the fort 
t- * examine about the premises, (thinking from certain indications 
that Indians were lurking in the vicinity) was immediately shot down. 



HISTORY OF FITCHBUKG. 4U 

The Indians then commenced the attack upon the garrison, which 
Fitch and the remaining soldier defended for a short time. The 
latter was soon shot through the port hole, and Fitch was in- 
duced to surrender. Surdody was desirous of having him killed 
on the spot, but he was overruled in this by the others, who 
were disposed to carry him and his family into captivity, and 
so receive the highest bounty from the French, and a large sum 
for their ransom. Fitch, accompanied by his wife and four chil- 
dren, and under the escort of his captors, was carried to Mont- 
real. His habitation was at such a distance from the principal 
settlement, that the report of his capture was not spread till the 
following morning. It reached the middle of Lunenburg, however, 
long before the rising of the sun, and the alarm, (three muskets, 
heavily loaded, discharged with a certain interval between each 
report) was immediately fired. Soldiers arrived in an incredibly 
short period, from Groton, Lancaster, and even from Westford. 
They immediately put themselves under the command of Major 
Hartwell, and started in pursuit. They had not proceeded far 
beyond the smoking ruins of the garrison, before they discovered 
a paper stuck in the bark of a tree. This contained a recpuest, 
signed by Fitch, not to have his friends pursue him ; for the 
Indians had given him to understand what his destiny was to be 
if they were not molested ; but if they should be pursued, and 
likely to be overtaken, then they should forthwith kill him, 
together with his wife and children. The soldiers, on the receipt 
of this, returned. Fitch and his family were carried to Montreal, 
where they remained for about, one year, enduring great hard- 
ships. They were then ransomed, principally by means of a 
subscription raised among the people of Bradford, the place of 
his former residence. They all lived to return to their home, 



50 HISTORY OF FITCHBURG. 

with the exception of Mrs. Fitch, who died while <m her return, 
at Providence, R. I.* 

After this period, Mr. Fitch was prospered in his worldly 
concerns, and became one of the wealthiest men of the place. 
When the country above him became settled, he opened a public 
house. He presents one of many instances of the uncertainty 
of riches. He lived to the good old age of one hundred and 
five years, and died in the poor-house of Ashby ! 

A few Indians remained behind, after the capture of Fitch, 
to observe its effects. They continued several days skulking 
about, and on the watch for more prisoners, or scalps. Deacon 
Amos Kimball Avas hoeing corn in his field, and, hearing a 
rustling in the brush fence near him, he looked in that direc- 
tion and saw a gun pointed at him through the fence, by an 
Indian. The latter seemed to be reserving his fire till his victim 
should draw a little nearer. Kimball knew that if he ran, it 
would be sure death, as he was then so near ; so he pretended 
not to see anything, and kept scratching with his hoe, and 
working off — looking down, as if busily at work — till he sup- 
posed that he had attained to a sufficient distance to give him 



*I would here correct an error in Whitney's account of this affair, which is as follows :— " In the 
summer of the xear 174!», the Indians came into the northwest limits of the town, and killed two 
soldiers, Jennings and Blodget, who were stationed there, and carried Mr. John Fitch and his family 
into captivity, who all returned in safety, alter enduring incredible hardships and fatigues, except 
Mrs. Fitch, who sickened and died in Canada." 

There is an error of two years in this statement. In the first place, the war between France and 
England was concluded in 174S, and the French would not pay a bounty for English prisoners after 
that period. Secondly, an aged man of this town, recently deceased, remembered how old he was 
when Fitch was taken, and was quite positive (hat the event occurred on the 16th of July, 1747. 
Thirdly, the Records of Lunenburg state that Susanna Fitch ye wife of Mr. John Fitcli Deceast 
December ye 24th 1748, at Providence in ye Collony of Rhod Island." Now Mrs. Fitch could not die 
at Providence in 1748, and be taken captive bj the Indians in the following summer. The authority 
of the Records cannot be disputed. Furtbei more, the intentions of marriage between Mr. Fitch and 
his second wife were recorded in Dec. 17»0— quite too early if he was taken in 1749, and his first wife 
lived nearly or quite a year after the event. 

There is a story current, respecting this second wife of John Fitch, to this effect:— She undertook, 
•■lie day, to make some candles, and accordingly put the ingredients— tallow and wicking- together 
in a kettle over the fire, and commenced stirring them together. This she continued to do till she 
was reduced nearly to the state of the liquid over which she was engaged. One of her neighbors 
enquiring the meaning of such unusual conduct, she replied that she was making candles, and won- 
dered very much " why they did not come!" 

Jacob Fitch, who was an infant when he was carried into Canada, was afterwards a clerk in the store 
of Dr. John Taylor in Lunenburg. Though in other respects well formed, his lower limbs were of 
dwarfish size, in consequence of the rigor with which he was bound. 



HISTORY OF FITCHBURG. 51 

a chance to escape. He then made good use of his heels. 
The Indian, as his only chance, fired, and the hall struck a 
tree a short distance in front of his intended victim. As Kim- 
ball immediately gave the alarm, this scout thought it hest to 
be oft'. A few of them made a circuit through Westminster — 
killed one man named Bowman, who was at work in a field, 
and, according to the statement of my informant, (Arrington 
Gibson) "carried his scalp into captivity" — then passed rapidly 
on towards Canada, and overtook their companions with Fitch, 
before their arrival at Montreal. This was the last of Indian 
warfare and depredations within our borders. 

After the events ahove detailed, and previous to the incor- 
poration of the town of Fitchburg, several families moved into 
the westerly part of Lunenburg, wdiose names will be given when 
I speak of those living in Fitchburg when it was erected into 
a separate town. Capt. Samuel Hunt came into this town (from 
Worcester, as I have been told) and built a part of the house 
now occupied by James L. Haynes. In the year 1761, he 
commenced keeping tavern there. This was the first public house 
ever kept in the precincts of Fitchburg. 

At this period, considerable difficulty was experienced in the 
collection of taxes. The paper money was of uncertain value, 
and the constables, upon whom this duty devolved, had not suffi- 
cient authority to enforce prompt payments. They were required 
to pay over the sums which they had been ordered to collect. 
within a certain period ; and if they failed to collect them, the 
loss fell upon their own shoulders. It was not uncommon for 
them to pay their fines, rather than accept office. In Jan. 1763, 
a town meeting was held in " Capt. Joshua Hutchens' Long Cham- 
ber," when Abijah Hovey was chosen constable. He being absent, 
a messenger was despatched for him, who reported " that Mr. 
Hovey would not serve the town as constable, — would lie glad if 
the town would excuse him ; if they would not, he would pay the 
fine." And so he paid his fine. Uk Then chose .Jonathan Pearce 
constable. He replied that be die! not choose to serve, unless he 



52 HISTORY OF FITCHBURG. 

could be sufficiently authorised to collect the taxes. After a long 
disputation and debate, Mr. Pcarce was again desired to declare 
to the town his acceptance or non-acceptance of the office.. He 
desired more time for consideration; and finally refused to serve." 
Jonathan Braclstreet was then chosen. " Mr. Bradstreet being 
immediately notified of the town's choice, presented himself to the 
town, and being asked by the moderator whether he would accept 
the office of a constable, Mr. Bradstreet replied that he scrupled 
whether the fine could be recovered of him ; the moderator insist- 
ing upon a peremptory answer, he replied he scrupled whether the 
fine could be recovered of him,"— and finally he refused to serve. 
Richard Taylor was next chosen, " who made his appearance, and 
declared he would not serve once and again." The town excused 
him. Paul Wetherbee was then chosen, who accepted the office. 

I have already mentioned the death of Rev. Mr. Stearns, the 
second minister of Lunenburg, which took place in March, 1761, 
in the 52d year of his age, and 28th of his ministry. Pie was 
much beloved by his people, who built a monument to his mem- 
ory.* They also paid the whole amount of his salary for the year 
1761 to his widow, " Madam Ruth Steams." 



*The following is a copy of the inscription upon the tomb-stone of Kev. Mr. Stearns :— 

" THIS MONUMENT, 

ERECTED BY THE TOWN OF LUNENBURGH, 

IS SACRED TO THE MEMORY 

OF THE REVEREND DAVID STEARNS 

THEIR MUCH BELOVED AND RESPECTED PASTOR, 

WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE 

IN THE JOYFUL EXPECTATION OF A BETTER 

ON THE 9TH DAY OF MARGH A. D. 1701 

AND IN THE 52(1. YEAR OF HIS AGE. 

HIS PRIVATE CAPACITY 

HE WAS A KIND HTTSBAND, A TENDER PARENT 

AN AFFECTIONATE BROTHER AND A FAITHFUL FRIEND, 

IX HIS MINISTERIAL CHARACTER 

HIS CONVERSATION WAS PURE ENTERTAINING 

AND INSTRUCTIVE 

HIS DOCTRINES PLAIN AND SCRIPTURAL 

AND HIS LIFE TRULY EXEMPLARY. 

He was adorned 
with hospitality, with singular prudence ami a most endearing benevolence; with 
;i good knowledge of men and tilings, with a fervent zeal for the Glory of Christ, 
and the salvation of souls; and was governed by the influence of these accom- 
plishments. Help, Lord, for the Godly man ceaseth." 



HISTORY OF FlTCHBtinG. 53 

Immediately after tlio decease of Mr. Steams, Rev. Josiah Bridge 
(Harvard University, 1758) was hired to preach ; and in August 
of the same year, Rev. Samuel Payson, a class-mate of Mr. Bridge, 
was hired. In the following February, the town " gave him a call," 
offering him an annual salary of 80?., and 200/. " for his encour- 
agement and comfortable settlement." He was ordained in Sept., 
1762. A committee was chosen " to make suitable provision for 
the venerable Council, and other gentlemen of note and distinction 
who shall attend the ordination." 

Mr. Payson continued but five months in the ministry, having 
died in February, 1763, aged 24. He was a native of Walpole, 
Mass.* Rev. Ebenezer Sparhawk, of Templeton, was invited " to 
come and pray with the town," and the neighboring ministers were 
invited to attend the funeral. The town also " voted to give to 
Miss Elizabeth Stearns, (affianced to Rev. 'Mr. Payson) a neat, 
handsome suit of mourning," — " to the father and brothers of the 
deceased, weeds and gloves — to his mother and half sister, veils, 
handkerchiefs and gloves." 

Rev. Messrs. Champney, Fiske and Bavis were hired to preach 
after Mr. Stearns' death. Mr. Davis received an invitation to 



♦The inscription upon the tomb-stone of Rev. Mr. Payson is as follows; — 

"QUIESCUNT 

SUB HOC TU3IULO 

RELIQUIJE 

REV, SAMUELIS PAYSON A. M, 

QUI 

ECCI.ESI2E LUNENBT RGENSIS PASTOR 

DOCTUS FIDELIS 

PR M ST A NTI Y i R I X G E N 1 ( ) 

MORUMQUE GESTU AMABILI 

VIRTUTIS POTIUSQUAU DIERUM PLENUS 

vntolMi.s: M0RBO 

OCCUBUIT 

ID. FEB. SALUT, M. DCCLXIII, 

.i:i'. XXIV. 

A I Al'ill.i; 

ERECTS i His MONUMENT 

TO THE MEMORY OF A BELOVED SON." 

It may be translated thus i 
Here rest, within this tomb, the remains of lie v. Samuel Payson A. M. the learned and exemplary 
Pastor of the church of Lunenburg. He was a man of superior abilities, and of an amiable dispo- 
sition; more distinguished for virtues than for length of days. He died of aa atrophy in Februarj 
A. D. 1763, aged 24. 



54 HISTORY OF FITCHBURG. 

" settle," which he declined. May 19th, the town concurred with 
the church in appointing " a fast on Thursday come fortnight." 
In November, Rev. Zabdiel Adams was procured to preach. He 
was settled soon after Fitchburg Avas incorporated. 

For several years previous to this event, (the incorporation of 
the town) the inhabitants of the westerly part of Lunenburg began 
to have shrewd suspicions that they were able to walk alone — that 
they were sufficient in knowledge and numbers to manage their 
own affairs — and that it was an unnecessary burthen upon them 
to lie compelled to travel the distance of five or ten miles to at- 
tend Divine service, and transact the ordinary business of town 
affairs. 

It will be seen, upon an inspection of the case, that there 
was a pretty good foundation for these opinions. By an exam- 
ination of the Records, it will be seen that a very fair pro- 
portion of those who were selected to manage the most impor- 
tant affairs of the town, was taken from among those after- 
wards belonging to Fitchburg. It ought furthermore to be con- 
sidered, that a ride of ten miles then, was quite a different 
affair from a ride of that distance now. Of the roads at that 
period, mention has already been made. They were but little 
better than cow-paths. When this town was incorporated, there 
wore no wheel carriages here of a higher rank than ox carts. 
Any vehicle of lighter construction would have soon gone to des- 
truction over such roads. Journeys were then made on horseback 
or on foot. A spruce young gentleman, in treating the mistress 
of his affections to a ride — or the sober-minded husband in carry- 
ing the partner of his life to •church — brings the sure-paced animal 
to the horse-block, and mounts — the lady places herself on the 
pillion behind him. The horse starts off on a walk, — the great- 
est speed at which it would he considered safe to drive him, 
through roads so rough. They thus pursue their journey, wind- 
ing along up one hill, and then another. The horse leaps over 
the smaller streams, for tear of wetting his feet, and wades boldly 



EIIST0R1' OF FITCIIBURG. 00 

through the larger ones, even to endangering the feet of his 
riders. Now the gentleman dismounts to "let down' 1 the Wars, 
and then proceeds along, dodging under the boughs, twigs and 
limbs of trees. ITc must star! very early, or arrive at his 
journey's end very late. It is therefore not to be wondered at 
that the early settlers of this town began so early as they did, 
to desire a separation from the parent stock, that they might 
be nearer home in the performance of their public duties, whether 
they were such as they owed to the community, or to their Maker. 

From the record of the town meeting, March, 1757, it ap- 
pears that Samuel Hunt and others petitioned to the town of 
Lunenburg, to have the westerly part of the same set off, in 
order to have it incorporated into a separate town. This peti- 
tion was referred to a committee, with directions to report at 
the next May meeting. At the May meeting, the committee 
reported — hut whether in accordance with the prayer of the peti- 
tioners or not, we are not informed. The report, however, exci- 
ted considerable debate, and was recommitted for an amendment 
— and the committee was directed to report at the following Sep- 
tember meeting. Among the recorded proceedings of the Sep- 
tember meeting, not one word is said respecting the report, or 
Samuel Hunt's petition. Nothing further respecting this subject 
is recorded, till May, 1761, when the (own voted that the request 
of Samuel Hunt and others "be so far granted that one-half of 
the land in the township of Lunenburg, and the westerly part 
thereof — running a parallel line with the west line of said town- 
ship — he and hereby is set off a separate Parish by itself; Pro- 
vided they shall place their meeting-house as near the centure 
of said parish as may he, so as to accommodate the whole, and 
that as soon as they are able and do maintain the Gospel among 
themselves, that they shall he fre>l from all costs and charges 
of maintaining the Gospel in the first parish." But this grant 
d'ul not satisfy the petitioners : for the record states that imme- 
diately a motion was made that the request he granted in full — 
which passed in the negative. 



56 HISTORY OF FITCHBURG. 

In the following August, the request of Amos Kimball and 
others, to be set off into a separate town, was presented. It shared 
the same fate with that of Samuel Hunt — with the exception 
that it did not live nearly so long, for it was killed on the spot. 
" After debate thereon, it passed in the negative." 

In the warrant for town meeting in March, 1TG3, there was 
an article, to hear the petition of Dea. Benjamin Foster and 
nine others, " to set off into a district and precinct by them- 
selves" all the inhabitants on the westerly side of Pearl Hill 
brook and Dorchester farm, so called. The town refused to act 
on this article. 

In the warrant for town meeting in the May following, there 
was an article of similar import — with the exception that it said, 
" To see if the town will consent that application may be made 
to the General Court, to incorporate the westerly part, &c, into 
a town. This article was negatived. But the advocates for this 
measure made another attempt in the following January, and with 
much better success, for the town then voted to "let the people 
go." This vote was passed January 25th, 1704, at " the request 
of Dea. Benjamin Foster, Dea. Samuel Putnam, and others," 
which was as follows : — That the town vote " the lands in said 
Lunenburg which lie west and westwardly of the line hereafter 
described, should he set off from said town, that so the said 
lands, and inhabitants thereon, may be formed by the General 
Court into a town or district, as they shall think proper/' 
(Here follows a description of the line, which corresponds with 
the easterly boundary of Fitchburg.) This was granted on con- 
dition that " the inhabitants should pay their minister's tax, as 
heretofore they had done, until they should be formed into a 
district." 

The long sought-for object -of the people of the westerly part 
of Lunenburg having been obtained, a committee consisting of 
Messrs. John Fitch, Amos Kimball, Samuel Hunt, Ephraim 
Whitney, and Jonathan Wood, was chosen to wait upon the 



HISTORY OF FITCHB1 I 57 

General Court, to procure the act of incorporation; and fchey per- 
formed their duty so promptly and perseveringly, that on the 3d 
of February, 1764, — -just nine days after the passage of the above 
vote — the act passed the Legislature, and received the signature 
of the Governor. 

February 3d, 1764, was therefore the Birth-i>ay or Fitchbtjrg, 
which was 72 years old on the 3d day of February, 1836. 

It is the general report that the town was named in honor of 
John Fitch, who was the first man on the committee appointed 
to procure the act of incorporation, and was the same individual 
taken captive by the Indians in 1747. Some people think that 
the town was named in honor of a Col. Timothy Fitch, a wealthy 
merchant of Boston, who owned extensive tracts of land in the 
town, and was considered, in those days, as a man of " note 
and distinction." It is true that John Fitch, at this time, was 
an extensive landholder, and perhaps a man of some influence — 
and he may have taken an active part in getting the town in- 
corporated. Yet there were many in the town who were held 
in higher estimation than he. Previous to this period, he seems 
to have been elected to only three offices by the good people of 
Lunenburg. Li 1738, he was chosen one of the "Hogge rieves;" 
afterwards he was chosen " to take care of Deer, 1 ' and again 
" to Cake care of fire and burn the woods." These certainly 
were not distinguished stations. But whether the town was named 
in honor of this individual, or of the above named Col. Fitch, 
is a point which will probably remain forever in obscurity. This 
is a circumstance not a little surprising, when it is considered 
how recently die town received its name, and that there are' 
people now living who remember the event perfectly well. 

The act of incorporation, which the committee was so prompt 
in procuring, is as follows: — 

"Anno regni Regis Georgii tertii Quarto. 

,- the Governor, Council ami House of Repre- 



68 HISTORY OF ETTCHBURG. 

8mtativ&s, That the inhabitants, with their lands, in the Westerly 
part of Lunenburg — beginning," &c. (Here follows the boun- 
daries of the town by " stakes and stones," which it is not nec- 
essary to repeat) " be and hereby are set off and erected into 
a separate town, by the name of Fitehburgh ; and that said 
town be invested with all the powers, privileges, and immunities 
that other towns in this Province do, or may, by law, enjoy;— 
that of sending a Representative to the General Assembly only 
excepted ; — -and that the inhabitants of said town shall have full 
power and right, from time to time, to join with the said town 
of Lunenburg in the choice of a Representative or Representa- 
tives, and be subject to pay their proportionable part of the 
charges, who may be chosen either in the town of Lunenburg, 
or in the town of Fitehburgh, in which choice they shall enjoy 
all the privileges which by law they would have been entitled 
to if this act had not been made ; and the Selectmen of the 
town of Lunenburg shall issue their warrant to one or more 
of the constables of Fitehburgh, requiring them to notify the 
inhabitants of the town of Fitehburgh of the time and place of 
meeting for such choice ; Provided, nevertheless, And be it fur- 
ther enacted, that the said town of Fitehburgh shall pay their 
proportion of all town, county, and Province taxes, already set 
on, or granted to be raised by, said town of. Lunenburg, as if 
this act had not been made ; — 

And be it further enacted — That Edward Ilartwell, Esq., be, 
and hereby is empowered to issue his warrant directed to some 
principal inhabitant of said town of Fitehburgh, requiring him 
to notify and warn the inhabitants of said town, qualified by 
law to vote in town affairs, to meet at such time and place 
as shall therein be set forth, to choose all such officers as shall 
be necessary to manage the affairs of said town." 

This bill passed the House Feb. 2d, 17<»4, and the Council 
on the following day — when it also received the assent of the 
Governor. 



HISTORY OF FITCHBURG. 69 

At this period there were in the whole town not more than 
forty-three or tour families, and the whole number of inhabitants 
did not much, if any, exceed two hundred and fifty.* At the 
present time it contains more than ten times that number. 

Perhaps a more accurate picture of the town in 1764, could 
not be presented, than by stating the place ~ of ^ residence of 
each family diving in. the town when it was incorporated. Consid- 
erable pains have been taken to make this statement correct. 

Amos Kimballf lived where Samuel Hale now r lives. 

Ephrahn Kimball lived where the Storeys now live. 

Samuel Pierce and William Steward lived where Capt. James 
Cow din and Jacob Tollman now live. 

Solomon Steward J lived where there is a cellar hole, and a 
barn lately stood, on the farm now owned by 0. H. Fox. 

Phinehas Steward lived where the " Poor House" now stands. 

Robert (?) Wares lived where Joseph Patties now lives. 

Samuel Poole lived where Charles Beckwith now lives. 

•lames Poole lived where Joseph Farnsworth now lives. 

Kendall Poutelle lived where Capt. A. Boutelle now lives. 

Francis Fullam lived where Jacob Fullam now lives. 

Silas Snow lived where William Downe now lives. 

Nehemiah Fuller lived where Thomas B. Goodhue now lives. 

Ephraim Osborne lived where Joseph Downe, Esq. now lives. 

Hezekiah Hodgkins lived where Benjamin Whitney now lives. 

James Peach (Pitch'.'') lived where P. Williams Esq. now lives. 

Abraham Smith lived where Daniel Works now lives. 



'Tn the brief account of Fitchbtirg in an old edition of Morse's Gazetteer, some unknown person 
has appended a manusciipt not?, stating that the population of the town, in 1765, was 259. What 
degree of credit this statement is entitled to, I know not. 

fHe was a man of unblemished reputation, and was always highly esteemed by his fellow citizens. 
lie died in 1774, at the age of 57. None of bis descendants dow remain in the town. George Kimball 
Esqr. of Luneubuig, who bui't the bouse where Jacob Caldwell now resides, was a brother of Amos. 

[Martha, wife of Solomon Steward, died in 1777. She was buried in the lower grave yard at Lun- 
enburg. Her grave stone declai es that "SheWasa Partus Wife a Kind Neighbour & a Tender Parent. 

Mournful] Children Bear I Laj 
as \ mi are Now So < (nee Was 1 
as I am Now So Ifou Must i»' 
Prepaie l'our Selves to Follow Me." 



60 HISTORY OP FITCHBURG. 

Charles Willard lived where Adin H. Hammond now lives. 

Edward Scott lived where Joseph T. Scott now lives. 

Ebenezer Bridge lived where Dea. Jacob Jaquith noR lives, 

Ezra Whitney lived where Daniel Lowe now loves. 

Reuben Gibson lived where Arrington Gibson now lives. 

Isaac Gibson* lived where Widow P. Gibson now lives. 

William Chadwick lived near to, and a little north of where 
John Hapgood now lives. 

Nich.-Banforth lived in the pasture nearly opposite I. Putnam's. 

Isaiah Witt lived where Isaiah Putnam now lives. 

Thomas Gerry lived where Joseph Fairbanks now lives. 

Joseph Spafford lived in the log house where John Battles, Jr., 
now lives. 

Ephraim Whitney lived where Stephen Lowe now lives. 

John AVhite lived where William Wyman now lives. 

Timothy Bancroft lived "here Joseph Marshall now lives. 

Thomas Damary lived where there is a tan yard, near to Na- 
than Battles', 

Jesse French lived where Jacob H. Merriam now lives. 

Thomas Button lived where Capt. Benjamin Wheeler now lives. 

William Hendersonf lived where Abel E. Adams now lives. 

Samuel Hunt lived where James L. Haynes now lives. 

Timothy Parker lived in the garrison house, formerly D. Page's. 

Jonathan Wood lived where John Younglove now lives. 

David Goodridge lived where William Bemis now lives. 
■ Jonathan Holt lived opposite the house of Avery Stockwell. 



*The personal prowess of these Gibsons was quife proverbial. On one occasion, Isaac Gibson, in 
his rambles on Pearl Hill found a bear'-s cub. which he immediately seized ;<s his legitimate prise. 
The mother of the cub came to the rescue of her offspring. Gibson retreated, and the bear 
attacked him in the rear, to the manifest detriment of his pantaloons. This finally compelled 
him to face his unwelconw antagonist, and they closed in a more than fraternal embrace. Gibson, 
being the more skilful wrestler of the two, "threw" bruin, and they came to the ground together. 
Without relinquishing the hug both man and beast now rolled over each other to a considerable 
distance down the hill, receiving sundry bruises 1>\ the way. When (hey reached the bottom, 
both were willing to relinquish the contest, without any further experience of each other's prowess. 
It was a drawn garni — the bear losing her cub, and Gibsou his pautaloons. 

tHe was a. half crazj Irishman, and went to Co'raine soon after the incorporation of Fitchburg 
In about ten years he returned in poverty, and involved I'iteiibni u and Lunenburg in a law-suit 
ie$pccting his maintenance 



HISTORY OF FirCHBUXtQ. 61 

Samuel Hodgkins lived a little to the south of the old city store, 

Samuel Walker lived where C. Marshall now lives. 

Phinehas Goodell lived in the south-westerly part of the town. 
His place of residence in not exactly known. 

The above mentioned individuals and their families, composed 
the population of Fitchburg. Their dwellings, in almost every 
instance, were far apart— here and there a house, scattered over 
a large territory. A single dwelling house stood in the " Old 

. ' and in the. village, where the population is now so thickly 
clustered together, not a single ho erected. The winds 

which swept down the valley of the Nashua, sighed through the 
pine- which here formed a dense forest. 

Within the first fev> years after the incorporation of the town, 
several new families selected it as their place of residence. It 
would be tedious to enumerate all these new comers ; but there 
is one who, by the influence which he exerted over the affairs 
of the town in its infancy, by the character which he helped to 
give it, and by the high estimation in which he seems to have 
been held, merits a more particular notice. 

Thomas Cowdin, Esq. moved into Fitchburg in the July fol- 
lowing its incorporation. He appears to have been one of those 
persons who, without the advantages of birth, education or for- 
tune, unaided by the influence of patronage or favor, but relying 
solely upon the energies of a .sound intellect and active mind. 
frequently elevate themselves to a rank above their neighbors, 

lie was born in Stow, in 1720, and went as an apprentice 
to the blacksmith's trade, to Marlborough, where he served his 
time, lie then removed to Worcester, and commenced his busi- 
ness on the main street. He belonged to a company of cavalry 
in that town. Several years previous to the old French War — 
as it is called — but at a time when the Indians were exceed- 
ingly troubles ■ into the service, and marched 
up to Charlestown No. 1. under the command of one Captain 
Stevens. Here it was his fortune to encounter some dangers. 



62 HISTORY OF FITCHBURG, 

and make some hair-breadth escapes from the savages. He was, 
on one occasion, selected to convey some despatches from that 
place to Fort Dummer. He buckled them in his knapsack, and, 
accompanied by two other soldiers, commenced his dangerous 
journey. They had not proceeded many miles when, on coming 
to the brow of a rather abrupt precipice, they looked down and 
beheld a very interesting group of savages. The latter perceived 
Cowdin and his associates at the same instant, and sounded the 
war-whoop in pursuit. As they were obliged to make some little 
circuit before they could climb the precipice, the whites improved 
the opportunity to get the start. Each of the three wisely took 
a different direction. Cowdin showed the red men a light pair 
of heels, and escaped by dint of running. One of his comrades 
took a "bee line" for Charlestown, where he arrived in safety, 
and gave the information that Cowdin and his despatches were 
probably taken. The third, being slow of foot, finding it impos- 
sible to escape his pursuers by running, crawled into some high 
grass before they came in sight, and thus escaped unnoticed. 
Cowdin bent his course for Ashuelot, (now Keene) where he 
arrived unharmed. From thence a company of soldiers was sent 
with him to Fort Dummer, where he delivered his despatches. 

On his return to Charlestown, he met companies which had 
been sent in pursuit of him ; and other despatches of the same 
tenor had been sent forward to Fort Dummer, upon the pre- 
sumption that he had been taken and slain. 

While he was at Charlestown, he was one of a detachment 
of thirty man which was sent out to scour the woods of the 
n sighborhood, to sea if any Indians were lurking in that quarter. 
In this detachment was also the famous Chamberlain, who dis- 
tinguished himself in that most bloody battle with the Indians, 
known as Lovell's fight, by killing with his own hands the Indian 
chief, Paugus. 

Chamberlain had a dog with him, which had been nurtured in 
Indian wars. He could "scent" an Indian as far as a common 



lUSToi;\ OF FITCIIBURG. 63 

dog could a pole-cat. In this ramble the dog <-.unr speedily in 
tn his master. Chamberlain looked in his face and read his 
intelligence. "Stop," says he, "my dog says the in! skins 
are near." They halted, and in a moment they heard the sound 
of an arrow whizzing bj their heads. They look about, and 
Chamberlain soon discovers the lurking foe. He fired, and in a 
moment the Indians in large numbers, rose around, them and 
fired. The whites charged upon them, and they tied. The scour- 
ing party returned to the fort, having a few of their number 
wounded. 

Cowdin, in the capacity of sergeant, -was at the siege and 
capture of Louisburg, and faced the enemy in the hottest of 
the fight, when the place was attacked in 1745. 

When the war broke out between England and France, in 
1755, Cowdin enlisted as ensign : and in that year lie was en- 
gaged in the expedition against NoVa Scotia. He served seven 
years during this war, and rose to the post of captain. Two 
of these years he was employed in this state, for the double 
purpose of forwarding invalids, when they had sufficiently recov- 
ered to join the army, and for arresting deserters. 

While engaged in this latter capacity, an incident occurred 
which serves very well to illustrate his determined perseverance. 
He had intimation of a certain deserter, who was making his 
way towards the state of New York. He started in pursuit of 
the fugitive, and finally burrowed him — so to speak— one Sun- 
day morning, in a Dutch meeting-house. It was during divine 
service; but Cowdin rushed in and seized upon him. A scuffle 
ensued, much to the amazement of the sedate congregation. The 
fellow attempted to kill his captor, but Cowdin succeeded in 
overpowering and binding him. He then brought his prisoner 
from Xew York to Boston, for the purpose of putting him into 
the castle : but on his arrival there, it was ascertained that 
the soldier had last deserted from Crown Point, and there- 
fore Cowdin was ordered to convey him to the latter place. 



( >'d HISTOKY OF FITCIIBUKG. 

This jouni3j through the wilderness he accomplished alone with 
las prisoner, who very well knew that death would be his por- 
tion when delivered over to the proper tribunal. At Crown Point 
the prisoner was recognized as a man who had enlisted and 
deserted, in a short space, no less than thirteen times. He 
was conveyed to Montreal, and shot. 

Such circumstances as these serve better, perhaps, than other 
means, to set forth in its true light, the character of one of 
the early pioneers, who, from the period when he made this 
town his residence, to his death in 1TU2, took the lead in its 
public affairs. 

When Cowdin came into this town, he purchased the tavern 
stand of Samuel Hunt, who thereupon removed to Worcester. 
Cowdin continued to keep a public house here (J. L. Haynes') 
for about ten years, when he removed to the Boutelle house, so 
called, in the Old City, which lias lately been taken down. 

lb' owned a great portion of the land included between the 
two road- leading to Lunenburg and Baker's brook. He also 
owned a tract on the westerly side of the road leading from his 
then dwelling : Kimball's mills in the Old City. The first 

meeting-house built in Fitchburg, was placed on land given by 
him, and which was then called his wheat field. This meeting 1 
house was nearly on the spot now covered by the brick school-house. 

I have already mentioned the condition of the village at that 
period. It wa d by a forest. After leaving Jesse French's 

house and Kimball's mills, there was not a single dwelling house 
before arriving at Leach's, where P. Willi- i., now lives. 

The pitch pine trees afforded an excellent shelter for deer, par- 
tridges and wild turkeys. David Boutellc's "muster field " was 
covered with a beautiful growt 1 ! of white pi ber, which 

town till 1775, vvheii Cowdin built a largo 

■11 to the Boutelle house, and opened it as a public house. 

A Judge Oliver, of lots, commencing 

on Cowdin's laud . 'lie Pox .died, and thence 



HISTORY OF FITCHBURQ. 65 

extending on the river to where Phillips' brook unite* with the 
Nashua. This tract embraced the whole of the village and 
Crockersville. He also owned a tract a mile square on Dean hill, 
so called, in the -westerly part of the town. Judge Oliver or his 
heirs sold both of these tracts to one Elias Haskell, who came 
into this town, and built the house now owned by Capt. Dean. 

This Haskell, by selling lots and loaning his money, was reputed 
to be very rich : but he was doomed to experience a reverse of 
fortune. He was compelled to receive his pay in the pernicious 
paper currency of the times, which depreciated so rapidly that it 
soon came to be but little better than so much brown paper. He 
afterwards purchased a small sandy farm in the north-easterly 
part of Lancaster, where he lived some years, and died in poverty. 

Col. William Brown and Burnet Brown, the one belonging to 
Salem, the other to the south, owned a large tract of land in the 
region of where Levi Farwell now resides. In the westerly 
part of the town they owned another tract, a part of which, 
is now included in the Hilton and Sheldon farms. Another 
tract was owned by them in the northerly part of the town. 

In the south-westerly part, several hundred acres were given 
to the committee appointed by the General Court to allot the 
original proprietorships. This committee, it will be recollected, 
consisted of William Taylor, Samuel Thaxter, Francis Fullam, 
John Shipley, and Benjamin Whittemore. The land owned by 
Col. Timothy Fitch, was in the southerly part of the town. 

On the 5th day of March, 17*>4, the first meeting which 
the town evci' held in its corporate capacity, was called, ac- 
cording to the act of incorporation, by virtue of a warrant 
issued by Edward Hartwell, Esq., of Lunenburg, directed to 
Amos Kimball, one of the I It was 

held in the i Samuel Hunt. Amos Kimball was 

moderator of this meeting, and Ephraim Whitney was chosen 
town clerk, .'vinos Kimball, David ' lei Hunt, 

aim Whitney, and Reuben Gibson, were chosen selectmen. 

i 



66 HISTORY OF FITCHBURG. 

In September following, at a town meeting, it was voted that 
" two miles on the westerly line of said town, beginning at 
the north-west corner, and half a mile on the easterly line, 
beginning at the north-east corner, on Townsend line, then run- 
ning a straight line from one of these distances to the other, 
be set off to Mr. John Fitch and others, in order for them 
to join a part of Townsend and a part of Dorchester Canada, 
in order to make a Town, or Parish among themselves." This 
was giving away a large slice from the northern part of the 
town ; and the liberal conduct of the people of Fitchburg is 
contrasted favorably with that of the people of Lunenburg, in 
the affair of the incorporation of this town. Notwithstanding the 
willingness of Fitchburg to gratify . Mr. Fitch in this respect, 
Ashby was not incorporated till three years afterwards, viz : 
in 1767. 

In October, 1764, a committee was chosen on the part of this 
town, to confer with those of Lunenburg, Groton, and other towns, 
for petitioning the Great and General Court for a new county to be 
formed of several towns in the counties of Middlesex and Worces- 
ter. Several attempts had been made, in years previous, to attain 
this object, but they were always unsuccessful. The attempt uoav 
made shared the fate of the others. At this period, though the 
amount of business which the people of Fitchburg had to transact 
at the shire town was but little, compared with it now, they felt 
great inconvenience in being compelled to travel the distance of 
twenty-five miles to have a deed recorded, or to transact any 
other county business. 

Until this time there had been no burying yard in the precincts 
of Fitchburg. The dead were carried the distance of nearly seven 
miles to Lunenburg. The first "grave yard" in Fitchburg was 
purchased near to their meeting-house, on the hill a little in the 
rear of the brick school-house, in the Old City. But few bodies 
were ever deposited here, in consequence of ledges of rock and 
other obstructions in the soil. In 1766 Dea. Amos Kimball, in 



HISTORY OF FITCHBURG. 07 

consideration of the love and respect which he bore to the people 
of Fitchburg, gave to them one acre of land, on the southerly side 
of the river between the bridge and bis bouse. The bodies buried 
in the first burying- place were exhumed, and re-interred in the 
new yard. 

In November the town voted to have six weeks preaching, and 
directed their committee to apply to Rev. Peter Whitney, who 
accordingly came and preached in the tavern of Thomas Cowdin. 
The people of those days were less scrupulous in regard to the 
place where they met for public worship, than Ave, of the 19th cen- 
tury are : a tavern then was no better than a tavern now, but they 
probably thought that their Maker regarded more the feelings 
with which his creatures offered up their petitions and adorations 
than the place in which they assembled for this purpose. 

At the same meeting in November they voted to proceed to 
build a meeting-house. Their manner of proceeding in this affair 
was cpiitc different from that usually pursued now; for the town 
determined to find the " stuff," and then employ people to work 
on the house, and finish a part at a time. Their first step waa 
to get the frame raised and covered with rough boards ; afterwards 
the lower floor was laid, then the outside was "finished;" a place 
was made "for the minister to preach in," the pew ground was 
" dignified," and the house was " seated." Then galleries, and 
stairs leading to the same, were to be made, the house was "glassed " 
and finally "coloured." The town employed different persons to 
perform these jobs, which were not all completed till the lapse of 
several years. The town was thinly peopled, and money Avas by 
no means plenty. The sum of ~)0l. ($166.66,) was voted to begin 
the bouse, which, built piece-meal, and with such slender means, 
would make but a .sorry appearance in comparison with our modern 
temples. The people were obliged to act with rigid economy. 
Fortunes were not made in a day, and the expenses of maintaining 
tbf minister, and keeping the high-ways in repair, bore heavily 
upon •• population whose income was very limited. They thought 



68 Hi STORY OP FITCHBURG. 

it best to build no more at a time than they could pay for, 
and to bumble themselves a little, as they arranged themselves 
on temporary seats around their preacher — 'and so proceed with 
the work of building as their means allowed. Such a course was 
preferable to that which is sometimes adopted in these latter 
days — of erecting a splendid edifice at once, contracting a large 
debt to pay for it, and then to be able barely to pay, year after 
year, the interest, and perhaps a small portion of the principal, 

Although the people of Fitchburg thus early manifested a proper 
spirit in supporting the public institutions of religion, and doing 
other things for the prosperity of the town, it must be acknowl- 
edged that they did not exhibit that zeal in the cause of educa- 
tion which its importance demanded, and which might be reason- 
ably expected from them. During the first year of its incorporation, 
it does not appear that there was any school in the town. In 
1765, it was voted that two schools should be kept in the town 
during the ensuing winter, and the sum of three pounds ('$10) 
was appropriated to this purpose. Mr. John Fitch and Dea. 
Kendall Boutelle, who lived in the northern and southern extremi- 
ties of the town, Mere exempted from any portion of this tax, 
.and had permission to establish schools among themselves. How 
much benefit to the town was derived from two schools, each 
drawing from the treasury the paltry sum of five dollars for the 
pay of the teacher and all incidental expenses, I cannot pretend 
to say. Incidental expenses, however, were but trifling. There 
were no school-houses in the town ; but the dwelling-houses of 
individuals, who had vacant rooms that would answer for this 
purpose, were freely offered for the public good. A school was 
"kept" for some time in Wm. Chadwick's " corn -barn." The 
" master " boarded in the several families of the district, which 
bore the burthen or honor of his presence, for a stated number 
of weeks, in rotation. The people also furnished fuel gratuitously; 
and it is probable that the teacher received nearly the whole 
amount of the money raised by the town. 



HISTORY OF FITCHBmtG. 69 

In the succeeding "year a more magnanimous disposition was 
manifested. The sum of 8/. ($26.66) was voted for the support 
of the schools — and this was the standing sum appropriated for 
the purpose for a considerable number of years. During the 
same time they were paying to their minister annually the sum 
of |200, or |300 (in addition to his 30 cords of wood) — eight 
times the amount which they paid for the education of their 
children. At the present time, the amount of money paid by 
the people for instruction, is just about equal to that paid to 
all the ministers in the town. It is but 'just to add that, previous 
to the incorporation of Fitchburg, Lunenburg appropriated a hand- 
some sum t<» purposes of education.* 

There were some peculiarities exhibited in the conduct of the 
fathers of this town, which savored strongly of their puritan 
origin. They were not so tolerant in all their notions as their 
children have become, and according to their sense of propriety 
and duty they maintained a strict watch over all things pertaining 
to the moral aad spiritual welfare of the good people of the town. 
In these days of modern degeneracy, their inquisitorial proceedings 
would have excited no small degree of indignation, and their pry- 
ing committees would have met with many a severe rebuff. 

Soon after the settlement of Rev. Mr. Payson, a committee was 
chosen to see that all the inhabitants duly and constantly attended 
meeting "on the Sabbath, and to report the names of those who 
were delinquent. The latter were inevitably fined. 

A Mr. Abel Baldwin, who lived on the farm where Moses Hale 
now lives, once came within the number of the unfortunate delin- 
quents. He was consequently fined. He made his appearance 
before Thomas Cowdin, Esqr., who was then living in what is now 



*l$efore Fitchburg was set off, two or more school-houses had been built in (lie precincts of Lunen- 
burg, and the- people of what was afterwards Fitchburg paid th'-ir proportion of the tax for the sup- 
port of schools. It would be injustice to man; poisons not to mention the exertions which they 
made in their individual capacity, for the education of their children. Many private or subscription 
schools were opened— some with verj competent teachers. The children received three-fourths of their 
instruction iu this way. This is quite a palliation for the conduct of the town in its corporate 
capacity. 



7>> history of fitchburg, 

called the Old City, and paid his fine ; but he did so with evident 
reluctance, and an unwilling mind. He looked about him and 
seemed to think that the place, as well as the people, was entitled 
to a share of the blame, for so rigid a restriction upon his liberty. 
He expressed his opinion that the place would not prosper, and that 
a curse would follow it. He accordingly gave to it the name of 
Sodom — and it is called Sodom unto this day.* 

At this period of our history, when there was a paucity of 
subjects to engage public attention, many trivial circumstances, 
which now would excite no interest beyond the sphere of the 
individuals immediately interested, gradually worked themselves 
into affairs of public importance, and came under the cognizance 
of the town. The minister, the meeting-house, the pews, and even 
the petty differences between man and man, frequently presented 
questions which were decided by the town. 

To show the views and understanding of the people then, their 
disposition to assume a general interest and oversight over each 
other's affairs, I will mention several circumstances, as they appear 
on the town Records. 

Phinehas Steward and Edward Scott respectively laid claim to 
a certain pew in the meeting-house. This important affair coming 
before the town, it was " Voted and agreed upon by the two 
parties on account of the Pew in contest, and by Phinehas Steward, 
which Pew Edward Scott claims is given up by said Steward 
to said Scott, upon condition that said Scott pays 30 shillings, 
■and pays also what money the Town's committee dignified the 
Pew ground at to said Steward, — and furthermore, both parties, 
that is, said Edward Scott and said Phinehas Steward, each of 
them agreed and actually signed the Town's vote, both of them 
never to make any more uneasiness further about said Pew, if 



*He was .1 carpenter and joiner by trade, and withal a very respectable man. Being a Baptist— 
n rara tins in those days — he did not choose to unite in the worship of those of a different per- 
suasion. Tli'' town wickedly persecuted him for conscience' 3ake 



HISTORY OF PITCHBURS. 71 

the money be paid by said Scott in one week from this day, 
being the 23d day of May, 1768. 

, Cf . 7x Edward Scott. 
(&9ned) p HmEHAS Steward . 

J.ta?s£, Tiros. Cowdw, ZWm Clerk. 

It appears that one Eliphalet Mace, then living where Jacob 
II. Merriam now lives, in giving in his invoice to the asses- 
sors, was actuated by a disposition which has not become en- 
tirely obsolete in the town at the present da}-. He quietly kept 
back some few articles of his property — not wishing to appear 
too vainglorious about his worldly possessions. The town took 
cognizance of the matter, and soon came to the conclusion that, 
though the said Mace might be poor in spirit, he was not so 
very poor in earthly goods. They accordingly voted that he 
should be fined forty shillings for giving in a false invoice. Some 
time afterward, the anger of the town was considerably abated, 
and the fine of Mace was abated in proportion. It was voted 
that twenty-eight shillings of it be deducted — so the unfortunate 
man was fined only twelve shillings for his untimely modesty. 

In a few years after the incorporation of the town, several 
roads were opened, and a considerable sum was expended upon 
bridges. The road from South Fitchburg (leading over the arched 
bridge, and so by the dwelling-house of Alonzo P. Goodridge, 
to the Old City) was opened in 1765. The road from Pearl 
Hill by the dwelling-houses of Isaiah Putnam and Amos Wheeler, 
till it comes into the old road to Lunenburg, was accepted in 
17GG. It is worthy of remark that in these, and in many 
other instances, the land which was needed for the roads, was 
given by the owners thereof. Th d for no jury to. de- 

cide upon the amount of damage which they sustained by these 
improvements. In the spring of 1770, the town found it nec- 
essary t" rebuild the bridges carried away by the " late freshet." 
But they did not rebuild them suffice _h from I 

for in 1771, the records say that it voted "to rebuild the 



*2 HISTORY OF FITCHBHRQ. 

bridges carried away and damnified by the floods." 1 The town 
also very magnanimously " voted to pay for the rum expended 
at the bridges." 

The good people of Fitchburg being vexed by the intrusion 
of "cattel" belonging to persons having no "interest" in the 
town, they promptly forbade the entrance of all such "■cattel," 
and proceeded to build a " pound with logs-." It was enjoined 
" that every person in town corns and work at said pound, or 
pay his proportion." It was a common practice for them, how- 
ever, to vote that their own " Hoaggs Go at Large lawfuly 
Yokt and Kingd," — as the erudite Town Clerk has recorded it. 

It is well known that, at this period, the disputes and diffi- 
culties between Great Britain and her Colonies were fast ap- 
proaching a crisis. Soon after the French power in Canada 
had been crushed in 1759, the British Ministry began to turn 
their thoughts towards raising a revenue in America. Their 
first step in tins proceeding was to direct the collector for the 
port of Boston to apply to the civil authority for " Writs of 
Assistance" to command the aid of all sheriffs and constables 
vii breaking <>;:cn houses, stores, ships, and packages of all sorts, 
to search for articles prohibited by the " Acts of Trade ," — a 
series of nets which had been passed to favor the West India 
merchants, and which had nearly annihilated the commerce of the 
Colonies. These acts had been mostly evaded by non-importation 
and smuga-ling. 

©CD O 

The legality of the - Writs " was doubted, and the question 
came before the Superior Court, for decision, in February, 1761. 
By the powerful assistance of Jamas Otis, the Writs were defeated. 
His masterly speech on this occasion first aAvakened the Colonists 
to the real danger of the threatened course of the ministry. They 
saw, in the pretended right of Parliament of taxing them to an 
unlimited extent, the germ of tyranny which would destroy their 
liberties; and they wisely resolved to destroy the monster in its 
shell, before it should acquire sufficient strength to crush them in 



HISTORY OF FITCHBURG. 73 

its folds. They knew that their charter gave them the right to 
tax themselves, and that every exercise of this right on the part 
of the parliament was an infringement upon their chartered priv- 
ileges. They were not actuated by the sordid love of money, 
hut by the nobler love of liberty. They had freely poured forth 
their treasure and their blood in the preceding wars, and now 
they claimed the privilege of taxing themselves. They contended 
that " Taxation and Representation were inseparable ;" while Par- 
liament claimed the right to " bind the Colonies in all cases 
whatever." This was the point on which the dispute turned. 

In the years 1763, 4 and 5, the commerce of the Colonies 
was nearly at a stand, in consequence of the " Sugar Act," 
and the " Stamp Act." Their operation was defeated by non- 
importation and smuggling. To the great joy of the Colonists, 
the Stamp Act was repealed in 1766, and the importation of 
goods was greater than ever. A cloud was soon thrown over 
the prosperity which everywhere began to be visible. The " Rev- 
enue Act" was passed in 1768. Again the people of Massa- 
chusetts took the lead in asserting the liberties of the Colonies, 
and they acted promptly and effectually. 

By means of associations, speeches, circulars and pamphlets, 
the rights of the Colonies, and the dangers with which they 
were threatened, were fully discussed and laid before the people. 

In September, 1768, the Selectmen of Fitchburg received a 

letter from the Selectmen of Boston, requesting them to call a 

town-meeting, and then to take into consideration tli3 critical 

condition of government affairs, and to choose an agent to come 

to Boston to express there the views, wishes, and determination 

of the people of Fitchburg on this important subject. A town 

meeting was accordingly called, and this town, in conjunction 

with Lunenburg, chose Hon. Edward Hartwell, of the former 

place, to be their agent. What his instructions were, the records 

do not state ; but their subsequent proceedings leave no doubt but 

that thus early tho people were resolved upon maintaining their 

rights. 

i 



74 HISTORY OP FITCHBURG. 

The firm resistance with which the projects of the British gov- 
ernment were received, served to strengthen the determination of 
the Ministry to carry their point, at all hazards. Troops were 
stationed in Boston to overawe the inhabitants. Acts of increased 
severity were passed. The colonists saw that they must yield or 
maintain their rights at the point of the bayonet. They did hes- 
itate between the alternatives. They did not prepare for the en- 
counter under the impulse of the moment, but calmly deliberated 
upon the propriety of every measure. The pens of Otis, Adams, 
and their associates, were ever busy. The acts of the government 
were severely scrutinized, and the rights of the Colonies most ably 
vindicated and maintained. But one sentiment pervaded the com- 
munity, and that was a fixed determination to preserve inviolate 
their freedom. 

The people of Boston took the lead in these measures of resist- 
ance, and Avere nobly seconded by the inhabitants of the other 
towns. They sought an expression of opinion from every town on 
the all-engrossing subject of dispute, in order that they might know 
what they could rely upon, if it should be necessary to meet the 
obstinacy of Great Britain with open rebellion. 

In November, 1778, another letter was received from the town 
of Boston, requesting the inhabitants of Fitchburg to pass such 
resolves concerning their rights and privileges as free members of 
society, as they were willing to die in maintaining — and to send 
them, in the form of a report, to the Committee of Correspondence 
in Boston. The town was not unmindful of this invitation. A 
meeting was held on the first day of December following. A copy 
of the records of this meeting will convey a good idea of the 
views and feelings of the inhabitants on these important subjects. 
The record is as follows : — 

"At a Legal town meeting in Fitchburg on the first day of 
December, 1773, in order to take into consideration the letters of 
correspondency from the town of Boston — the Town made choice 
of Mr. Isaac Gibson as moderator for the government of said 



HISTORY OF FITCHBURG. 75 

mooting. These said letters were read before the town — and after 
the town had deliberated thereon with zeal and candor, unani- 
mously agreed to choose a committee of seven men, and chose 
Mr. Isaac Gibson, Capt. Reuben Gibson, Messrs. Phinehas Hart- 
well, Ebenezer Wood, Ebenezer Bridge, Kendall Boutelle, and 
Solomon Steward, as a committee to consider of our constitutional 
rights and privileges in common with other towns in this Province, 
together with the many flagrant infringements that have been made 
thereon, and to report at the adjournment; — and then this meet- 
ing was adjourned to the 15th of the same month. At the ad- 
journed meeting the committee reported as follows : — 

" Having with great satisfaction perused the circular letters from 
the committee of correspondency for the Town of Boston, wherein 
are so clearly held forth our rights and privileges as Englishmen 
and Christians, and also a list of the many infringements that have 
been made thereon, which letters of correspondence we highly ap- 
prove of and unanimously consent unto, and resolve to stand fast 
in the liberty and rights wherewith our Gracious Sovereign Kings 
have made us free by an undeniable Charter and Decree from 
them, their heirs and successors forever ; — And we are fully per- 
suaded that liberty is a most precious gift of God our Creator to 
all mankind, and is of such a nature that no person or community 
can justly part with it, and consequently that no men, or number 
of men, can have a right to exercise despotism or tyranny over 
their fellow creatures ; — and, to save us from such extreme wretch- 
edness, we believe the vigilance and combined endeavors of this 
people are necessary — and we hope through the favor of Divine 
Providence, will be effectual. And we think it our indispensable 
duty as men, as Englishmen and Christians, to make the most 
public declaration in our power on the side of liberty. We have 
indeed an ambition to be known to the world and to posterity as 
friends of libevty — and Ave desire to use all proper means in our 
Contracted sphere to promote it, and we are necessitated to view 
the enemies of libertv as enemies of our lawful sovereign, King 



76 HISTORY OP PITCHBURQ. 

George, and his illustrious family;- — because tyranny and slavery 
are fundamentally repugnant to the British Constitution. But in 
declaring our present thoughts and resolutions, we are moved by 
a principle of humanity and benevolence to the people of Great 
Britain, whose happiness is so involved with ours that the oppressors 
and depredations endued on us by tyrannical government, must be 
essentially detrimental to them. We therefore earnestly supplicate 
the Deity to preserve them from political lethargy, and so from 
the most shameful and miserable bondage. And we are fond 
of having our little obscure names associated with our Ameri- 
can brethren as instruments in the hands of God, to save Britain 
from that complete destruction which is now meditating and visibly 
impending. We wish, therefore, our countrymen to join with us 
in praying for a spirit of reformation on the inhabitants both 
of England and America, because righteousness is the exalta- 
tion and glory of any society. And we humbly hope that being 
so late in giving our sentiments upon affairs so deeply inter- 
esting to the American Colonies in general, and to this Prov- 
ince in particular, will not be imputed to our being unaffected 
with the alarming and unconstitutional encroachments that have 
been made upon our civil rights and privileges, — for we assure 
you we will not be wanting at all times according to our small 
ability, in procuring and promoting all lawful and constitutional 
measures proper for the continuance of all our rights and priv- 
ileges, both civil and religious. And we think it our duty on 
this occasion, in behalf of ourselves and our dear country, to 
express our unfeigned gratitude to the respectable Gentlemen 
of the Town of Boston, for the light and counsel that they 
have presented to us in their circular letters, and their many 
generous efforts in the defence of our privileges, and in the 
cause of liberty, — and in our earnest prayers to Almighty God, 
that they may be animated still to proceed and prosper in such a 
noble and generous design, and finally may they receive that 
most ample and durable reward; — And that these resolves be 






HISTORY OF FrrCHBURG. 77 

recorded in our toAvn book of records, and that the town Clerk 
give an attested copy to the said committee, to be communi- 
cated to the committee of correspondence for the town of Boston. 
And with respect to the East Tea — forasmuch as we are now 
informed that the town of Boston and the neighboring towns 
have made such noble opposition to said Tea's being brought 
into Boston, subject to a duty so directly tending to the enslav- 
ing of America — it is our opinion that your opposition is just 
and equitable ; and the people of this town are ready to afford 
all the assistance in their power to keep off all such infringe- 
ments. Thomas Cowdin, Town Clerk." 

We learn from the above what the sentiments of the people 
of this town were concerning the course which Great Britain 
was pursuing towards her colonies. They believed that it was 
oppressive and unjust, and that they, as freemen, ought by no 
means to submit to it. Though living far back in the interior, 
they heartily responded to the noble and patriotic sentiments 
which animated the bosoms of the people of Boston, and ac- 
quired for their favorite place of meeting (Faneuil Hall) that 
most beautiful of names — the "Cradle of Liberty." 

We see also that with respect to the tax on tea, the opinions 
of the people of this town accorded with those of the inhabit- 
ants of Boston. . They were not only willing to forego that 
luxury, but even to take up arms against it, rather than sub- 
mit in the least to an arbitrary mode of taxation. They offered 
support and assistance in an hour when none but the most 
faithful remained firm. They were determined and courageous, 
but with their courage was mingled discretion. That their zeal 
had no kindred with outrage is shown in the following instructions 
which they gave to their representative, in May, 1774. This 
representative, Dr. John Taylor, of Lunenburg, was chosen jointly 
by the towns of Lunenburg and Fitchburg, and a committee 
consisting of Isaac Gibson and Phinehas Hartwell, of this town, 



iO HISTORY OF FITCIIBUKG. 

and three gentlemen of Lunenburg, was directed to draft in- 
structions by which he should be governed in the House of 
Representatives. They were as follows : — 

" Dr. John Taylor — Sir : As you are chosen by the towns 
of Lunenburg and Fitchburg to represent them in the Great and 
General Court for the present year, we think it our duty, under 
the present alarming circumstances of public aifairs, to give you 
the following instructions, viz :— That you bear testimony against 
all riotous practices, and all other unconstitutional proceedings, 
and that you do not, by any means whatsoever, either directly 
or indirectly give up any of our charter rights and privileges, 
and that you use your endeavors that those that we have been 
abridged of, may be restored to us, and that you use your 
influence that provision be made for the discountenancing all 
unwarrantable practices with respect to bribery in those that set 
themselves up as candidates for representatives for the people, 
either by the way of treats or entertainments, which may have 
been too frequent a practice in many places, — and further, Ave 
would have you move in the General Assembly that there might 
be a Congress and union with all the Provinces, and in case 
anything extraordinary should happen or appear, that you should 
immediately, notify your constituents. There are many things of 
lesser importance that we must leave discretionary with yourself, 
trusting that you will often revolve in your mind how great a 
trust is devolved upon you, and that you will give constant 
attendance, so far as you are able, to the business to which 
you are appointed; — and we hope that you will be actuated 
by a spirit of impartiality, free from private views and sinister 
ends." 

Whether Dr. John Taylor moved in the General Assembly 
for the Congress, in accordance with his instructions, I do not 
know, but the deputies of such a congress met in Philadelphia 
in September, 1774. 



HISTORY OP ETTCHBURG. 79 

A Provincial Congress, of which John Eancock was the pres- 
ident, met at Concord, on the second Tuesday of October, and 
after adjourning to Cambridge, drew up a plan for the imme- 
diate defence of the Province. They resolved that at least one- 
fourth part oi the Militia should be enrolled as minute-men, 
i. e. should be prepared to march at a minute's warning, on 
any emergency. To the Congress which took this decisive step, 
this town sent Capt. David Goodridge, as delegate. The mem- 
bers were supported and paid for their services by contribution ; 
and this town voted that if there should be any overplus, after 
paying their delegate, it should be appropriated to the purchase 
of powder — the people seeming to lie well convinced that some- 
thing more noisy than talk would be expended before the dis- 
pute should he finished. 

At this time, (October) the Selectmen paid 147. 4s. (147.33) 
for powder, lead, and flints ; and in November, in accordance 
with the vote of Congress, forty men were enlisted to form a 
company of minute-men. The town also voted to indemnify the 
constables for refusing to pay over the money which had been 
assessed by the Province, into the hands of Harrison Gray, Ks<p 
It was also voted to indemnify the assessors for refusing to 
return the names of such constables, though requested. These 
were certainly very bold measures, and well calculated to bring 
on the tug of war. 

On the 10th day of January, 177-">, the town chose Capt. 
David Goodridge a delegate to the Provincial Congress which 
was to meet at Cambridge on the first day <>f February. A 
committee was also chosen to review and inspect the " Minute- 
Company," as it was called — and Joseph Fox was appointed to 
receive any article which the inhabitants of the town might see fit 
to contribute to the relief of the poor of Boston, who were now 
suffering under the vengeance of the British Parliament, for the 
tea affair, &c. 

It will be thus seen that the town was prepared for the impor- 



SO HISTOKY OF F1TGIIBURG. 

tant crisis which was now at hand — the opening scene of the 
Revolution. A small detachment of troops had been sent frota 
Boston in February, to destroy the military stores collected at 
Salem, and those at Concord were exposed to the same danger. 

The 19th of April, the day on which the troops of Great 
Britain and her Colonies first came in hostile collision, had now 
dawned. The British troops reached Concord at seven o'clock, 
A. M., and the "Alarm" was fired in Fitchburg at 9 o'clock 
in front of the store ' of Dea. Ephraim Kimball, which then 
stood on the site of the present Stone Mill, in the Old City. 
This was the appointed rendezvous of the " Minute-men," where 
their guns and equipments were kept, ready for instant action. 
This company had spent the previous day at drill. They assem- 
bled here as soon as possible, when the alarm was given, and, 
being joined by several volunteers, about fifty mep took up the 
line of march for Concord, under the command of Capt. (after- 
wards Col.) Ebenezer Bridge. They arrived at their destina- 
tion in the course of the same evening, but in sufficient season 
only to witness some of the effects of the action, viz : some 
dead bodies, and several wounded British soldiers, whom their 
brethren, in the rapidity of their flight, had left to the mercy 
of the people. The remains of the British detachment were, 
by this time, safely entrenched on Bunker Hill. 

The anxiety which prevailed throughout the town, on this day, 
may be imagined. Exaggerated reports of the force and intentions 
of the enemy were spread, and every thing was veiled in uncer- 
tainty. A large proportion of the able bodied men had marched 
forward at a moment's warning to encounter dangers, how great 
no one could tell. Many a one, in bidding farewell to a father, 
husband or brother, felt that the separation might be eternal. 

Those who remained were not inattentive to the physical wants 
of the departed. A large baggage wagon well filled with pro- 
visions was immediately sent forward, under the care of Thomas 
Cowdin, Jr. 



BISTORT OP HTCEBURG. 81 

It thus appears that when the time of action came, the people 
of the town did not fail to make their deeds ■ correspond with 
their professions. 

A« there was no immediate need for their services, a large 
number of the men soon returned home. The provisions which 
they did not consume^ were afterwards sold, and the proceeds, 
amounting to $48.50, were given, by a vote of the town, to their 
minister, Rev. John Payson — on the principle, perhaps, that if the 
money was not wanted by those who fought our battles, it could 
not be better appropriated than by being given to one who earn- 
estly prayed for our success. 

The army, which was now assembled around Boston, was com- 
posed of "Minute-men" and others, who had rushed to the scene 
of action upon the first alarm of the battle of Lexington. It 
was necessary . to proceed to organize this body of men immedi- 
ately. Measures to this effect were taken, and the men were 
regularly enlisted, formed into companies and regiments. A com- 
pany was enlisted (most of them for eighteen months) and organ- 
ized from among the volunteers of Lunenburg and Fitchburg- 
Of this company, John Fuller, of Lunenburg, was captain, Eben- 
ezer Bridge, of Fitchburg, lieutenant, and .Tared Smith, of Lu- 
nenburg, ensign. 

After this period, several of the inhabitants joined the army 
at different periods, and for different lengths of time. As near 
as I can learn, about thirty were constantly in the army till the 
British troops- evacuated Boston, in March, 1T76. 

It is not certainly known how many of the inhabitants of this 
town were engaged in the battle of Bunker Hill, but the rtumv 
ber was not far from ten or twelve. I have been able to get 
the names of four or five. John Gibson, a son of Csaac Gibson, 
(whose name has frequently occurred in the course of this history) 
was one of these. It is supposed that he was killed there, for 
he has never been seen or heard of since that day. He 
was lasi seen in the entrenchments, in the hottest of the fight, 



82 HISTORY OF FITCIIBURG. 

bravely opposing the enemy with the breech of his gun. There 
cannot be much doubt but that he was finally overpowered and 
killed, though his body could not be recognized among the slain. 

It may be worthy of remark that after this period, no soldier 
belonging to this town was killed during the continuance of the 
war, and that one only was severely wounded, some years after 
this. 

On the 22d day of May, Joseph Fox was chosen a delegate 
to attend the Provincial Congress which assembled at the meet- 
ing house m Watertown, on the 81st of the same month. At 
the same town-meeting, it was voted to purchase forty bayonets, 
(which cost $26.) These were probably for the use of the stand- 
ing company which had been formed several years previous, and 
of which Ebenezer Woods was commanding officer. How these 
bayonets were made to fit guns of different calibres, tradition 
has not informed us. 

The warrant for a town-meeting in July deserves more par- 
ticular notice, as differing from all previous and several subse- 
quent ones. They had ever commenced in this form — " In his 
Majesty's name, you are hereby required to warn," &c. But 
this runs in the following manner: "In his Majesty's name, 
and in observance to the Provincial and Continental Congress' 
Resolves, you arc required," &c. This course was probably 
dictated by that sound discretion which suggests the propriety 
of treating all authorities with due respect, they not knowing 
into whose hands they might fall. The town voted not to send 
a delegate to the Provincial Congress at Watertown, " by virtue 
of that warrant." Several of the succeeding warrants ran in the 
old form. In March, 1776, the town, by order of the General 
Court, chose a committee of correspondence, consisting of Reuben 
Gibson, Kendall Boutelle, Asa Perry, John Putnam and Silas 
Snow. This was the last occasion on which the people of 
Fitchburg acknowledged the authority of " his Majesty's name." 

The warrant for a meeting in May ran thus : " In observ- 



HISTORY OF PITCHBURG. 83 

ance of the Colony Writ to us directed^ — These are, in the 
name of the Government and People of the Massachusetts Bay, 
to "will and require you," &c. At this meeting, it was voted 
not to send a representative to the General Court at Water- 
town. 

The next town-meeting, which was held on the first day of 
duly, 1776, shows what was the disposition of the inhabitants, 
when the important question of National Independence was sub- 
mitted to them. The General Court then in session, had as- 
sured the Continental Congress that if they, in their wisdom, should 
deem it expedient to declare the Colonies free and independent, 
the people of this Colony would undoubtedly support them in 
the measure. The State Legislature, however, to make the 
thing certain, passed a resolve that each town should act indi- 
vidually on the important question. By virtue of this resolve, 
this town assembled on the first day of July. The proceedings 
of this meeting arc as follows : — 

" Voted, That if the Honorable Continental Congress should, 
for the safety of these United Colonics, declare them independent 
of the Kingdom of Great Britain, that we, the inhabitants of the 
town of Fitchburg, will, with our lives and fortunes, support them 
in the measure." This took place only three days previous to the 
adoption of the Declaration by Congress. The question w r as intro- 
duced there on Friday, the 7th of June, and was discussed on 
that day, on Saturday, and on the following Monday. Further 
debate was postponed till July 1st. It was during this interval 
that the question was submitted to the several towns of this 
Province. On the very day on which the question was resumed 
in Congress, the people of Fitchburg declared themselves ready 
to peril their lives and fortunes in the cause of freedom. 

The declaration having been adopted, copies were sent by order 

of the Council, to the several towns of the State, where they 

read from the pulpit, and then copied into the town Book 

of Records — there to remain as a perpetual memorial thereof." 



84 HISTORY otf iTfCRBllHG. 

In October, the question was submitted to this town, whether 
they were willing that the then Representative House, together 
with the Council, should make a form of government for the 
State of the Massachusetts Bay. The town expressed their unwil- 
lingness to this course, and drew up their reasons in the form 
of a report, which was transmitted to the Legislature. It is as 
follows : " As we are sensible that our situation demands a par- 
ticular attention and due consideration in matters of the greatest 
importance on so interesting concern for the public good, and 
for the good order and benefit of the community and peace of 
this State, — that as the end of government is the happiness 
of the people, so the sole right and power of forming and estab- 
lishing a plan thereof is essentially in the people. We are there- 
fore unwilling that the present House of Representatives, together 
with the Council, should make a form of government for this State. 

Firstly-— Because the present House were never elected by the 
people to establish a form of government for this State, but for 
ordering and governing the prudential affairs of this embarrassed 
State, as necessity calls for their strict attention thereto. 

Secondly-— Because a large number of our worthy inhabitants 
of this State is now engaged in the service of the United States 
in opposing our unnatural enemies, who, we apprehend, ought, of 
right, to have an equal voice in establishing a form of government 
for this State, as those that are not engaged in the army. But 
provided the present House of Representatives, together with the 
Council, should proceed to make a form of government, Resolved, 
That it is the opinion of this town that said form of government 
should be made public for the perusal and inspection of the inhab- 
itants, before the ratification thereof by the assembly." 

It will be readily imagined that, under the severe pressure of 
a harassing war, when all resources were heavily drawn upon to 
furnish arms, ammunition, clothes and provisions for the army, to 
supply funds for the payment of the soldiers, and to meet other 
expenses incident to the state <>f public affairs, money, among tin- 



>VCi OF MTCHBURG. 



55 



inhabitants was not only exceedingly scarce, but that, in conse- 
quence of the successive drau ' soldiers, laborers were in 
great demand, and their services commanded exorbitant prices. 
The result of this was that the prices 'of all commodities and arti- 
cles of consumption rose in proportion. The embarrassed condition 
of our trade, previous to the commencement of the war, had also 
tended to increase the scarcity of money ; so that this anomaly 
now presented itself — everything was exceedingly dear, and no one 
had money to buy with. The General Court felt the evil, and 
endeavored ineffectually to apply a remedy. They passed an act 
for dividing the Commonwealth into districts, and ordering that a 
committee should be chosen in each district, to fix upon certain 
prices for labor and provisions, — which prices, when thus estab- 
lished, it should he unlawful for any one to exceed. This scheme 
continued in operation for a few weeks, when it fell to the ground, 
by common consent. It was found to operate unequally, and the 
..people would not submit to it. 

Groton, Shirley, Townsend, Lunenburg and Fitchburg composed 
one district. I have thought it might prove interesting to men- 
tion the prices which were affixed to some of the most important 
articles, by the committee of these towns. 

Labor of men, in summer, per day, 
" " winter, " " 

A carpenter, or housewright, per day, 

Wheat, per bushel,. 



Rye, " " 

Corn, " 

Oats, " " 

Pork, " pound, 

Butter, " " 

Beef, •• " 

Potatoes, per bushel, 

( rood sheep's wool, per lb., 

Men's stockings, of the host quality, 



50 

25 

50 

$1.11 

73 



cei 



56 
33 

6 
12* 

6 

17 

33 

LOG 



ts. 



8G 



HISTORY OF FITCHBURS. 



H 


cents. 


10.00 




3.67 




10.67 




3.67 




17 


" 


14 


" 


164 


u 


12* 


a 


1.83 




42 


u 


16* 


u 


58 


a 


42 


a 


Q 1 


u 



Men's shoes. - 1.33 

Lamb, mutton and veal, per lb., 

I [ay, per ton, 

Pine boards, per thousand, 

Clapboards, " ■" 

Wheat flour, per 100 lbs,, 

For a dinner, boiled and roasted, 

For a dinner with only one of these, 

For a mug of West India flip, 

For a mug of N. E. flip, 

Good cider, per barrel, 

Men tailors, per day, 

Women tailors, per day, 

Yard-wide cotton cloth, 

House maids, per week, 

Horse for one person to ride, per mile, 
There are indications that at this period (1777) the town 
began to grow weary of its burdens. There was no prospect 
of an immediate termination of the war — no prospect of "better 
times." The inhabitants were dilatory in furnishing their quotas 
of continental soldiers. The great bounty required for enlist- 
ments seemed too enormous to be offered. Those who felt dis- 
posed to go forth to the field of battle, looked upon their 
families, and saw that they must be left to poverty and want, 
unless they could depend upon the bounties for support. Of 
specie, but little was in the country, and paper money was 
rapidly depreciating in value. The resources of the country 
seemed to be nearly exhausted. It is not surprising, therefore, 
that the stoutest heart, at times, yielded to despondency. Yet 
there is one thing truly surprising. Amid all this gloom, when 
all were disheartened at the prospect before them, there were 
no general murmurs heard, as of old among the children of 
Israel, sighing for the "flesh-pots of Egypt" — no vain regrets 
that they had departed from under the protection of the British 



HISTORY OF FITCnBURG. *7 

crown. <hi the contrary, the utmost vigilance was exercised to 
spy out, and hold up t > public scorn the man who dared to show 
the least symptom of disaffection towards the American cans,'. 

It was during this year that Pninehas Eartwell, whom, in 
the language of the records, the town presumed to he firmly 
attached to the American cause, was appointed a committee to 
procure ami lay before a special Court of Sessions of the Peace, 
'• the evidence .that may he had of the inimical disposition 
towards this or any of the United States, of any inhabitant of 
this town, who shall be charged by the freeholders, and other 
inhabitants of said town/" Indeed, not only was enmity to the 
cause severely punished, but persons exhibiting luke-warmness 
were watched with a suspicious eye. Every one had to come 
up to the mark prescribed by public opinion, or 'expose himself 
to the effects of popular indignation. More than one inhabitant 
of this town was threatened with a coat of tar and feathers, 
and even with the destruction of his house. Such persons had 
to walk very circumspectly to shelter themselves from ehulitions 
of popular feeling. They were even compelled to mount the 
head of a barrel, and in this conspicuous, though humbling 
condition, promise to the assembled majesty of the town, a 
greater love for the American cause, and a more strict obedi- 
ence to the will of the people. Among this unfortunate class 
was our old friend, Thomas Cowdin, who, though in other respects 
a very popular man, and a very noted inn-keeper, was shorn of 
all bis municipal honors in lTTo, and was not again admitted 
to the confidence of the town till towards the close of the war. 
This summary process induced those who entertained inimical 
dispositions, to keep their opinions to themselves. 

Though the burthen of the war was now pressing heavily 
upon a town which was not highly favored in the possession of 
worldly goods, the people did not despair of the cause of Inde- 
pendence. They continued to labor steadily to the utmosl of their 
ability, and this year (1777) voted to rais for purchas- 



88 HISTORY OF FTTUHBtJR®. 

ing guns and ammunition for the fawn's use. In compliance with 
an act of the General Court, they chose a committee', who had 
full power and authority to supply with the necessaries of life, at 
the town's expense, all those families of the soldiers woo were en- 
gaged in the Continental service. 

The wretched state of the currency at this time, was rendered 
still worse by the improvident attempts of the Legislature to 
remedy it. The General Court passed an act for putting large 
sums of the bills of credit emitted by this State, on interest, 
and sinking certain sums, less than ten pounds, in the possessors' 
hands, — and prohibiting the circulation of the bills of any of the 
United States, under a penalty of five pounds. The town was 
opposed to this act, and sent to the General Court a remonstrance 
to that effect. 

In May, 1778, the town approved of the " articles of Confed- 
eration sent out by the Continental Congress." At this time the 
new State Constitution was submitted to the people for their 
approbation or disapprobation. The vote in this town was as 
follows — For the Constitution, 22 — against it, 4, The General 
Court,, at this period, called for four men for the Continental 
arnry, and allowed the town $400 for this purpose. The town 
treasurer was directed to give his note for the sum of $100 to 
each soldier, or to borrow the money on the town's credit. 

At the close of this year (1778) the period of the war of 
the Eevolution was half completed, It is impossible for us to 
realize, at the present day, how completely that struggle called 
into exercise every resource and the whole energy of every 
individual throughout the community, How low soever might 
he his condition, and however scanty might be his means of 
supporting himself and his family, every man was called upon 
to act — to do to the utmost of his ability, or vest under the 
imputation of being a ton . 

They who had money and the means of supplying the neces- 
saries of an army, were compelled, not only by public opinion 



HISTORY OF FITCHBURQ. 89 

but every legal power which an overwhelming majority could 
exert, to pour forth their wealth in aid of the common cause. 
They whom poverty marks as exempts, in ordinary cases, from 
any onerous services in their country's cause, could not now 
escape the all-searching requisition. The possession of phy 
strength was sufficient to call forth the poorest day laborer, 
though clothed in and require of him the nerve of his 

right arm, to aid in the defence of his country. 

The exertions made by the people of this town, in the early 
part of the war, while the enemy were in possession of Boston, 
have already been mentioned. Their entire military strength was 
put in requisition. Their enthusiasm was at its height, and the 
pay was good. After this period the necessity of adopting some 
regular system was felt. The General Court required the town 
to furnish a certain number of men whenever the State was called 
upon to make out a quota. These men were selected by a 
committee, and a bounty was paid to them, which was assessed 
by a general rate upon the town. In the latter years of the 
Avar, it was proposed by the Legislature, and adopted in this 
town, to divide tl — each class consisting of 

about twelve or fourteen individuals, according to their wealth. 
The person first nan!' ach class was c, with the 

keeping of its accounts, and the general management of its con- 
cerns. Whenever the town was called upon for soldiers, the 

- were required to furnish a man in rotation — the bu 
being equalized among them as nearly as possible. When called 
furnish a man for three years or during the war, they 
were obliged to offer him, "over and above" what he would 
receive from the United States, as a soldier's pay, the sum of 
$800 as a bounty ; and as the currency was fluctuating, and 
worthless, the notes were made payable in produce, at a 
market value. When no one of a class was willing to volunteer 
on these conditions, it was usual to 

s, the m jlass were 

L 



90 HISTORY OF FITCTIBURG. 

compelled to cast lots among themselves, to determine win* of 
tliem should go ; and he upon whom the unlucky lot fell, had 
to shoulder his musket and march, or find a substitute at some 
rate. This sometimes happened to one whose little property could 
scarcely survive the shock of taking from it the sum of one, 
two, or three hundred dollars to hire a substitute. 

Notes were frequently given in these cases, which afterwards 
came before the town, with strong arguments and powerful ap- 
peals from those who were compelled to pay them, showing the 
manifest injustice that a single individual should be required to 
pay towards supporting the common cause so much more than 
his townsmen generally ; and the town was accordingly asked to 
pay those notes by an assessment upon the inhabitants. 

It was frequently voted to ascertain what each individual had 
done towards supporting the war, and to equalize the burthen ; 
but unfortunately they could get no farther than this. The de- 
mands upon the town had been so frequent, and taxes of course 
so heavy, that generosity towards one another was not to be 
expected. The reports of committees chosen to investigate this 
subject, were laid before the town, and immediately voted down 
or not accepted. Each one, previous to an investigation, seemed 
to think that his sacrifices had exceeded those of his neighbor; 
but when a report had been made, and it appeared that a ma- 
jority would be called upon to pay, instead of receiving something, 
the fate of such a report is not surprising. 

The average number of men which the town kept in the field 
from this period till the close of the war, is not accurately known 
— but it was 'not far from fifteen or twenty. This must have 
brought upon the several classes an expense of at least *4000. 

If the records be examined to ascertain what sums the town 
paid, in its corporate capacity, towards defraying the expenses of 
the war during the last five years of its continuance, the subject 
will be attended with considerable difficulty. The currency, in 
which the taxes were assessed, varied monthly. But from certain 



HISTOltt OF PITCHBURG. 91 

known data, an approach may be made towards the actual sum. 
During these five years, there were paid for fourteen hundred 
pounds of beef, for clothing for the army, and for the hire of 
soldiers, whom the town in its corporate capacity employed, about 
$7250. This sum. was assessed upon the whole town, in addition 
to large sums which the several classes were obliged to pay for 
soldiers, hired by them respectively. 

Let it be remembered also, that at this time, when all kinds 
of business had been brought nearly to a stand by the operation 
of the Avar, — when specie was almost unknown throughout the 
country, and the paper currency was but little better than so 
much brown paper, the ordinary expenses of the town — such as 
the support of the minister, of schools, of the highways and bridges, 
&C. &C, bore with extreme rigor upon the inhabitants. 

At the commencement of the war, gold and silver were scarce 
articles ; and it was soon found that if something could not be 
devised as a substitute for the precious metals, the patriots must 
give up the contest, and surrender all hope of gaining Independ- 
ence. Congress ordered the issuing of notes, or bills to a large 
amount, promising to redeem them at a convenient season. This 
currency, called Continental Money, soon came into extensive cir- 
culation. The bills, instead of being executed in the masterly 
style of our bank note engravings, were rude, coarse prints, on 
coarser paper, and consequently were easily counterfeited. The 
British, actuated by the double motive of making money and 
ruining the credit of our government, flooded the country with 
counterfeits so well executed that they could not be distinguished 
from the true ones. In 1777, the bills began to depreciate ; and 
all intelligent men soon saw that it would be impossible for the 
government ever to fulfil their pledge of redeeming them. The 
government, not being able, or not choosing to devise any other 
means to raise the credit of the bills, in an evil hour made them 
a legal tender for the payment of all debts due. 

The consequences of this measure may be seen at a glance. 



92 HISTORY OP FITCHBURG. 

Never, since the time of the flood, were debtors more ready and 
anxious to pay their debts, or creditors more unwilling to receive 
their money.* ,Of money, such as it was, there was no scarcity, 
and miserably poor was he who could not count his thousands. 
Then was the sun of prosperity darkened upon the prospects of 
those upon whom it is usually supposed to shine with peculiar 
favor. I refer to the lenders of money. Hundreds who before 
were in comfortable, if not affluent circumstances-— more than sup- 
ported by the income of their money — experienced the singular 
satisfaction of having every debt paid them, and, while gazing upon 
their masses of money, reflecting that they were reduced to poverty. 

Elias Haskell, who has already been mentioned as once having 
owned all the land on which our pleasant village now stands, beside 
other tracts in the 'town, was one who by this measure was re- 
duced from affluence to poverty. 

If this sacrifice of so many men's property was made for the 
American cause, ought not the sufferers to have been indemnified 
by our government ? Many a soldier who, instead of sacrificing 
any property, received adequate pay for his services, has been 
favored with a pension ; but who has been heard to lift up a voice 
in pleading the cause of those who sacrificed their thousands ? • 

It may be interesting at this time to give a slight sketch of 
the rate of the depreciation of this currency. On the first of Jan- 
uary, 1777, it was at par. First of January 1778, $1.00, specie, 
was worth #4.50 Continental; first ■ of January 1779,11.00 specie 
was worth $8.38 Continental; first of January 1780,81.00 specie 
was worth $32.50 Continental. At a town meeting in February, 
1780, it was voted that the inhabitants should be allowed three 
dollars per hour for their labor on the highways. At the same 
meeting it was voted to raise the sum of $8000, to assist in sup- 
porting the families of continental soldiers. In July, it was voted 
to raise $166,666.00 to hire soldiers with. In the October fol- 
lowing, a committee of the town contracted for 4800 pounds of 
hrr\\ and agreed to pay $26,000 for it, or at a rate of more than 



HISTORY OF PITCHBURa. 

$5.00 per pound. Tn March, 1781, Phinehas Sawyer and John 
Carter were chosen collectors of taxes : and, refusing to serve in 
that capacity, they were severally fined by the town in the 
of $900 — which w; lered equal to $-'10, the usual fine in 

such cases. ii the same meeting the town appropriated the sum 
of $ 20,000 for the repair of hi , and allowed each > 

$5 per hour I 

Rev. John Payson, then minister of tl n, who wa 

on the original sum of 60? , ■ starved, th< 

the poor man could not complain th Jary was not paid very 

promptly. Yet he was not suffered to come to absolute want, for 
in March, 1778, the town chos amittee to carry a subscrip- 

tion paper among the inhabitants, that they might contribute " the 
necessaries of life or anything they pleased," for his support. The 
committee reported that Mr. Payson expressed himself as " well 
satisfied with what the town had done." In b ■ r of the same 
year, he recei . 00, and in November, $266 more, (equiva- 

lent, in all, to nearly $184) as his salary. In 1780, the town 
voted to pay him 811,000, to make up the depreciation which had 
already occurred. Every one will see that with a currency so 
fluctuating as this, all business must come to a stand, unless another 
"circulating medium" be devised. And such was the case. Notes 
were generally given to pay to the bearer so many bushels of corn, 
or rye. Sometimes they promised to pay in " hard money." When 
in 1781, "nine continental men" were called for, the town voted 
to pay them each $100 in " hard money," and an agent was des- 
patched to Boston, to borrow the same, on the town's credit. This 
year the town paid John Thurston 106 bushels of cum "for the 
services of his sou Stephen in the Continental army." 

In May, 1779, the town voted unanimously (casting 45 votes) 
in favor of a new State Constitution. In August, ('apt. Thomas 
Cowdin was chosen a delegate to attend a Convention which was 
to meet at Cambridge on the first of September, for the purpose 
of forming a new State Constitution. At the same time, Dr. Thad- 



( M HISTORY OF FITCIIMJRG. 

ileus McCarty was appointed a delegate to a Convention at \\ Iqt- 
cester, for the purpose of regulating the prices of commodities and 
articles in general use. The town voted to abide by the prices 
established by this convention, but in a short time individuals saw 
fit to fix their own prices to their articles, and the labor of the 
convention fell to the ground. 

In May, 1780, the present Constitution of the State was sub- 
mitted to the people, for their consideration. The inhabitants of 
Fitchburg voted unanimously (65 votes) in favor of adopting it. 

In September, votes were given for Governor. John Hancock 
received sixty-three votes, and James Bowdoin one. 

In October, (.'apt. Thomas Cowdin was chosen to represent the 
town in the first General Court under the new Constitution. 

In 1781 and '2, Rev. Mr. Payson received 1001., in " hard 
money,' 1 as his salary, but subsequently it was reduced to the 
former sum of 66Z. 13s. 8d. 

In September, 1782, David Mclntire was chosen a delegate 
to the Convention at Worcester, assembled " to take into consid- 
eration the grievances Worcester County labored under" — and in 
March, 1784, he was appointed to attend a Convention at the 
same place, called by request of the town of Sutton. 

In January, 1784, the town appropriated the sum of 474?. 13«. 
47., — •" the first moiety of the Continental tax granted by the 
General Court May, 1782," and in May it was voted to raise 
80/. " to discharge an execution in the hands of the high sheriff 
against the town, for deficiency of beef.'''' 

I have already spoken of the difficulty of our attaining, at 
the present day, to an exact computation of the expenses, and 
forming a correct idea of the exertions which the war of the 
Revolution caused to the people of this town. All calculations 
I used on data derived from the town Records, can be only an 
approximation to the actual amount. From 1778 to 1783 — the 
last five years of the war — a period in which there occurred 
many events of sufficient interest to call out the whole body of 



HIST0R1 OF FITCHBURG. 95 

voters — 1 can find no town meeting at which there appeared 
to be more than seventy voters. The town contains now seven 
times that number. Let it be remembered that at that time, 
between the dwelling-honse of Jonas Marshall and the Old City, 
there was not a single building. The whole of the village, where 
there is now so much wealth — where the inhabitants are clus- 
tered so thickly together— was then considered worth only a 
few dollars. If the wealth and resources of the town, at the 
present time be estimated as ten times greater than at that 
period, it will not be far from the truth. If then the amount 
which the people then contributed annually be multiplied by 
ten, woidd not the product form a tax which would be considered 
enormous — and this too when it was so difficult to meet the 
current expenses of the town, and when the expenses of the 
"classes" for luring soldiers and procuring substitute-; were 
great ? 

To learn what the Revolutionary war cost this country, we 
must search minutely into the history of each town. We there 
may see what difficulties were encountered, and what generous 
sacrifices, were made. To say that the people of this town bore 
themselves gallantly through the war, is not saying enough — - 
though their exertions did not exceed those of their neighbors. 
They continued to exhibit a firmness, a devotedness to the cause 
they had espoused, which was every way worthy of our fathers. 
There were a few, indeed, who looked with an eye of coldness 
upon the attempt of the patriots. They feared that the Colo- 
nics, weak and unprovided as they were, would not be able to 
contend successfully with the gigantic power of Great Britain; 
or the sentiment of loyalty was so firmly fixed in their minds 
that they beheld with horror any attempts to subvert the au- 
thority of their King. Such were compelled to yield to tie' 
mighty current of public opinion, and contribute their share, 
however unwillingly, to promote tin' common cause. 

inn the troubles above enumerated, were not all which this 



96 HISTORY OF FITCHBURO. 

town had to contend with during the struggle for Independence, 
The Small Pox, — that pestilential and terrible disease now hap- 
pily d I of its terrors — was then considered one of the 
most dreadful maladies that ever afflicted the human family. 
This disease made its appearance here in 1770, and spread an 
alarm far and near. Vaccination, or innoculation for the kine 
pox, as a preventive for the small pox, was then unknown in 
this country. The only means then known to prevent the rav- 
ages of this fatal disease, was innoculation for the small pox. 
The disease, even then, was sometimes fatal, and equally in- 
fectious as when taken in the natural way. ' It was necessary, 
therefore, that a place remote from the habitations of men 
should be selected, where they who attempted to avert the 
fatality of the small pox by innoculation for the same disease, 
might repair during the period of sickness. 

Dr. Thaddeus McCarty, a physician of this town, in con- 
nection with Dr. Israel Atherton, a distinguished physician of 
Lancaster, established a hospital for this purpose, on Buck hill, 
so called, in the rear of Philip F. Cowdin's dwelling house, in 
the year 1776. To this place the people of this and the neigh- 
boring towns repaired, and had the small pox by innoculation. 
Notwithstanding all precautions, several died here ; and instead 
of being carried to the grave-yards of their respective towns, 
they were buried on the hill on which they died. This was 
owing to a foolish notion then prevalent, that if these remains 
should ever be disturbed, they would communicate the dreaded 
disease to any one that might come in contact with them. Of 
the large number of patients who were here, it is not known 
that more than five died. If any should take the trouble to 
the place, they may find in the skirts of the wood a 
single grave, the headstone of which bears this inscription : — 
" Josiah Fairbanks, of Lancaster, died March 12th, 1777." 

Dr. McCarty, it appears, labored incessantly to alleviate the 
poms of those who were suffering under this loathsome disorder, 



HISTORY OF ETTCHBURG. 97 

and to allay the feara of those who were well. For his exer- 
tions in this praiseworthy cause, the good people of the town showed 
their gratitude by propagating a report that cither he or his friends 
introduced the disease into the place for the purpose of giving him 
;i good business. 

Dr. Thaddeus McCarty was a son of Rev. Thaddeus McCarty, 
of Worcester, and came into this town in 1772 or '3. He 
was then a young man, and the first physician who resided in 
this place. He married a daughter of Capt. Thomas Cowdin, 
and lived in the house now occupied by one or mure families 
of color, in the Old City. He was -a man of good education, 
and reputed to have been skilful in his profession. So lung as 
he remained in the town, he had great influence in public 
affairs. He removed from this town to Worcester in 1781. 
ining there a short time, he went to Keene, N. H., com- 
menced business as a trader there, and in a few years died. 
His only child, a daughter, is the wife of John Stiles, a wealthy 
citizen of Worcester. 

The first store opened in this town, was kept by Deacon 
Ephraim Kimball. This took place about the year 1772. The 
store was in a part of his dwelling house, which stood where 
the Stone Factory now stands. After trading here several years, 
he commenced purchasing real estate, and lived on several farms 
which he successively bought. In 1794, he, in connection with 
donas Marshall, (as has been mentioned in another place) built 
a dam and a saw-mill where the red. or Rollstone Factory now 
is. In 1797, he built the house where Daniel Tuttle now lives, 
and there he spent the remainder of his day-. 

Joseph Fox, Esq. came info this town from Littleton, in 1772. 
and occupied a part of the "Boutelle" house. He was a 
shoe-maker by trade, and plied himself to his calling for som< 
little time in his dwelling house. He commenced trading by 
bringing goods in his saddle-hags from Boston, and retailing 
them from his shoemaker's bench. Soon after this he opened 

M 



98 HISTORY OF FITCHBURG. 

the red store which constituted one in the block of old build- 
ings which stood between the main road and the Stone Factory. 
He was a man of great influence in the town, and died a 
few years since, after having acquired a large property. 

About this time, William Hitchborn came from Boston, and 
built one of the houses in the block above mentioned. He was 
a hatter by trade, and a Justice of the Peace. In 1781, he 
was one of three persons licensed by- the selectmen to sell tea.. 
He appears not to have attracted much notice till it was un- 
derstood that he was about to procure a commission in the Peace, 
which in those days was a most important circumstance. An 
urgent remonstrance, headed by Daa. David Goodridge, and 
signed by a large number of citizens, was sent to the Fountain 
of Honor, protesting earnestly against the appointment. But a 
brother of Hitchborn then living in Boston, was too powerful, 
and the esquireship was obtained, despite the remonstrance. Hitch- 
born soon became very poor, sold his establishment to Joseph 
Fox, and returned to Boston. 

It thus appears that the " Old City," as it is now called, was 
the distinguished part of the town — having the meeting-house, 
the tavern, the stores, the doctor, the hatter, and the miller, 
all within its precincts. 

David Gibson, son of Isaac Gibson of Pearl Hill, having 
learned the baker's trade, turned his eyes westward of the Old 
City, and in a daring moment, reckless of a rough soil and its 
rougher productions — such as pine stubs, hard-hack, grape-vines, 
&c. &c, built a bakery on the spot now occupied by the dwel- 
ling house of E. Torrey, Esq., and located his dwelling house 
directly opposite to it. This was the first house built in what 
is now called the Village — unless the house of Benjamin Dan- 
forth, which stood nearly where S. M. Dole's house now stands, 
preceded it. 

Gibson went to Vermont in 1792, and Dr. Peter Snow, who 
succeeded Dr. McCarty in the practice of medicine in the town, 
moved into this house, and occupied it several years. 



HISTORY OF FITCHBURG. 99 

Not far from the time when Gibson's house was built, Benja- 
min Kemp built a house where Jonas Marshall's brick house now 
Btands. But this was so far west that it was not then considered 
as forming a component part of the " middle of the town." 

Joseph Fenno, lived in a log house a few steps beyond the 
brick-yard brook — and nearly in front of Josiah Sheldon's present 
dwelling house. He afterwards built and occupied a house where 
Dea. Abel Downe now lives. 

Capt. William Brown built the present dwelling house of Capt. 
Z. Sheldon, in the year 1783 or '4. He owned the mills and 
clothier's works in the Old City. He occupied this as his dwel- 
ling house at first, and afterwards as a tavern. 

The houses built by David Gibson, by Benjamin Danforth, and 
by Capt. William Brown, were the only ones properly in the 
limits of the Village when the first Parish Meeting-house was 
built, in the year 1796. 

In August, 1784, Dea. Kendall Boutelle and Thomas Stearns 
attended as delegates from this town, a Convention at Westmin- 
ster, holden for the purpose of dividing the County of Worces- 
ter, or for devising means for that purpose; and in the follow- 
ing May, Dr. Jonas Marshall, Capt. Thomas Cowdin and Elijah 
Garfield attended a Convention at Lunenburg, for the same pur- 
pose. This has been, for a long time, a favorite object with 
the people in this town, but their efforts have never been crowned 
with the least success. They will probably be doomed for a 
long time to live at the distance of twenty-five miles from a 
court house and Jail. 

After the declaration of peace, in 1783, a general stagnation 
of all kinds of business, as is usual in such case-, ensued. The 
United Colonies were burdened with a debt of forty millions 
of dollars, without any means of paying it. Congress, under the 
Confederation, had power only to advise the several states to 
adopt certain measures to meet the wants of the times. 

But the states, actuated by a spirit of commercial rivalry and 



100 HISTORY OF FITCIIBURO. 

jealousy, would agree upon no uniform system. So far then from 
any measures being adopted to pay the public debt, even the 
interest of it remained unpaid. 

The whole body of the people became alarmed, and all confi- 
dence was destroyed. Certificates of public debt lost their credit, 
and many officers and soldiers of the late army, who were poor, 
were compelled to sell these certificates at excessive reductions. 
They had fondly hoped that if they could establish their inde- 
pendence, and a government of their own choosing, public and 
private prosperity would everywhere abound, and that things would 
go on delightfully. Bitter, now. was their disappointment. Of 
money, there was next to none. The introduction of the precious 
metals had been prevented by the war and its attendant evils, 
and the paper money in circulation was worth about two shillings 
on the pound. Creditors became alarmed, and used eveiy means 
in their power to secure their debts. Business was at a stand — 
men " failed," — and lawyers were overwhelmed with employment. 
Never was the labor of the profession in greater demand, and 
never -were Courts of Justice filled with more business. Massa- 
ehusetts, for the purpose of maintaining her credit, loaded the 
people with excessive taxes. It # was impossible for them to meet 
the demands made upon them. They knew not the origin of the 
evils, but supposed that there was some defect in the laws — that 
there were either too many, or not enough. Petitions were poured 
in upon the Legislature from all quarters — but the Legislature, 
'tike all deliberative bodies, moved slow. The patience of the peo- 
ple was entirely exhausted in seeing their property seized on '"ex- 
ecutions" issuing from these authoritive Courts, and, as petitions, 
remonstrances, and mild measures had failed to work out a remedy 
for their grievances, they determined to put down "Worcester, ss.., 
In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts," &c, by force 
of arms. Thus much it has been necessary to premise, to account 
for the origin of " Shavs' Insurrection." 

A large majority of the people of this, as well as the neighbor- 



BISTORT <>v PircnBURG. L01 

mg towns, were " Shaysites." In extenuation, though not in jus- 
tification of their conduct, it may be remarked that their straight- 
forward method of thinking did not lead them to comprehend the 
actual state of public affairs, and the necessity of sacrificing pres- 
ent convenience to future good. After a war of eight years' dur- 
ation to avoid the evils of excessive and illegal taxation, thev could 
not see what they had gained, if they were now to be subjected 
to .severer taxation than ever. Gov. Bowdoin did not possess 
confidence of the people, hut was, looked upon, as I have been told, 
rather as a " Britainer." 

They did not break out into open rebellion here, though tl 
stood ready, and undoubtedly would have done so. had they been 
goaded much further by the acts of the government. Their valor 
was fortunately well tempered with discretion. They knew that 
taking up arms against government was treason, and they knew 
that treason was a " hanging matter." . However, they put no 
restraint upon their tongues, and their language savored, strongly 
of rebellion. Some, it must be confessed, "swore terribly;" and 
the taxes ordered by the General Court were not all collected. 

In June, 1786, Robert Burnham, Daniel Putnam, Thomas 
Stearns, Elijah Willard, and Phinehas Hartwell, were chosen a 
committee to take into consideration the circumstances of the 
town, its burdens, and to petition to the General Court for a 
redress of grievances. At the same meeting Elijah Willard was 
appointed a delegate to a Convention of the people of the County 
of Worcester, to take into consideration the public affairs of the 
Commonwealth. 

Open rebellion having broken out in several place,-, and threats 
and demonstrations of warlike movements beginning to appear in 
others, the State Authorities were compelled to take notice of 
them, and resolved to put them down by an armed force. They 
bad under their control the militia of the Commonwealth, and on 
their side all those who preferred good order, and an observance 
of the Laws — though somcwhal objectionabh — to open rebellion 



102 HISTORY OP FITCIIBURQ. 

and civil war. Companies of the military were stationed in the 
infected districts, with orders to seize upon suspected persons, that 
they might be confined, or take an oath of allegiance and fidelity 
to the Commonwealth. 

The town voted that Mr. Willard should attend the Convention 
at Worcester, and that they would defend his property if he 
should be taken in person by government for his attendance — 
provided he behaved in an orderly and peaceable manner — other- 
wise they prudently resolved that he should take all the risks 
upon his own shoulders. 

In January, 1787, the town voted to petition the Legislature to 
have the Courts of Common Pleas, and of the Session, suspended 
till the choice of a new Representative house in the following 
May — also, to petition the government to liberate Capt. Shattuck 
and others, (who had been apprehended and imprisoned by the 
state (authorities) on their promising to behave as peaceable and 
faithful subjects of the Commonwealth,* — also to petition the 
government that the people might have the privilege of the 
Writ of Habeas Corpus. Phinehas Hartwell, Elijah Willard, and 
Dea. Ephraim Kimball were appointed to draft the above-men- 
tioned petitions. 

Thomas Cowdin, Esq., who firmly adhered to the government, 
was appointed in this town to administer the oath of allegiance 
and fidelity to those suspected persons who were compelled un- 
willingly to appear before him. A large company of soldiers, 
commanded by Capt. Johnson, was sent up from Lancaster to 
examine into the soundness of loyalty here. They had their 
quarters at the house of Capt. Thomas Cowdin for a few days, 
and then were removed to w T here J. L. Haynes now lives. 
Their business was to sally out by night, and sieze upon per- 
sons who happened to be suspected of entertaining dangerous 

*Capt. Shattuck was a distinguished Shaygite of Pepperell, and was apprehended for his treason- 
able designs. He was most shamefully abused, and his life was threatened by those into whose 
hands he had fallen. His condition consequently excited the sympathy of all those who weve 
disaffected inwards the government. 



HISTORY OF FITCHBintG. 103 

opinions, and bring them by force before Capt. Cowdin, where 
they were compelled to take the oath, or lie carried to jail. 

It will readily be imagined that the people of the town were 
exceedingly indignant at such a state of things, when the Writ 

of Habeas Corpus: was suspended, and martial law enforced. 
On more than one occasion were the citizens and soldiers on 
the point of engaging in deadly strife, which was prevented only 
by the latter yielding the point to the former. Some were 
quite ready, even with the halter dangling before their eyes, 
to oppose force to force, when they were awakened at dead of 
night by patroles of armed soldiers, who, strong in the protec- 
tion of government, sometimes were guilty of shameful excesses. 

Joshua Pierce, (who lived where Alonzo P. Goodridge now 
does) a warm Shaysite, was seized and brought before Esquire 
Cowdin, and, proving contumacious about the oath, he was held 
"in durance vile" for several days. Harsh measures were 
threatened to reduce him to subjection, but the soldiers feared 
the people, whose demonstrations were not to be mistaken, and 
they let him go. 

The Gibsons of Pearl Hill were threatened with a nocturnal 
visit from the military. The wrath of these stout yeomen, who 
prided themselves not a little on their courage and strength, 
w r as kindled at this intimation. They (" Reuben and Jake" — 
as I have been told) stationed themselves on the common, and 
dared the soldiers to lay hands on them. The latter declined 
the contest, or a "battle royal" would probably have ensued. 

Dr. Jonas Marshall was eagerly sought for, but he eluded 
their search by secreting himself in the cellar of " Upton's 
Tavern." lie was not further troubled with unwelcome visits. 
in consequence of threats which he made, of furnishing the entry 
to bis house with a trap door, so that if the soldiers desired to 
search bis bouse, they might commence operations by examining 
the cellar first. 

During this winter. (17 V ''>-T) the military company was re- 



[04 HISTORY OF FrTCHBUKG. 

moved to Townsend. They gave the finishing touch to their 
impudence by pressing into their service, for conveyance, both 
men and horses, for which no recompense was offered. On this 
occasion, Asa Perry, who hated the soldiers most cordially, did 
them the favor of turning them several times into snow-drifts — 
nil by accident, of course. 

The force headed by Shays himself having been dispersed, the 
agitation on this subject principally subsided in the following 
year. John Hancock was chosen Governor, and a majority of 
the House of Representatives were disposed to regard with a 
more favorable eye the interests of " the people." A check was 
placed upon the system of sueing, by passing a law that a 
debtor, when sued, might have whatever articles of his property 
!i ■■ should choose appraised, and the creditor was compelled to 
take such articles at the valuation, or lose his debt. This law, 
in derision, was called the "hog-trough law," as a man might 
bave his hog-trough appraised, and turned in to pay his debts. 

One circumstance relative to the singing in the meeting-house 
at this period, is deserving of notice, inasmuch as it shows the 
carefulness of our fathers in guarding against innovations in all 
things pertaining to religious worship. It was the practice, pre- 
vious to this time, in our churches, to have the minister select 
and read the psalm, or hymn, as now, then the oldest deacon 
would read one line, which was sung by all who could sing, 
sitting promiscuously in every part of the meeting-house. Then 
another line was read and sung in the same manner, and so 
on through the psalm, or hymn. It appears that in 1787, some 
bold innovators in psalmody undertook to introduce something 
similar to our present mode of singing, together with some new 
tunes. These latter were cpiite incomprehensible to some veterans 
whose sweet voices of fifty years' standing were hushed in con- 
sequence. They of course exclaimed against the innovation; others 
objected to it as irreligious and unscriptural. The point was 
argued with so much warmth on both sides, that it attracted 



HISTORY OP FITCnBURG. 105 

the attention of the whole town. Accordingly, an article was 
inserted in a warrant for a town meeting, reading thus — "To 
see if the town will vote to come into any general rule in re- 
gard to carrying on the singing part of the public worship of 
God ; and whether the singers shall sing a part of the time with- 
out reading, and how the psalm shall he read — -whether by line 
or verse, or act anything thereon.'' A committee was chosen to 
take the thing into, serious consideration, and to report at the 
next meeting. 

The committee made the following report, which was accepted. 
" There shall he singing five times in the worshiping on the Lord's 
day, in the following manner : The first singing in the morning 
before prayers, shall be without reading and singing line by line. 
After prayers, in the singing, each line shall he read and Sung 
separately, and such tunes shall be set as the congregation can, 
in general, sing. The first simiing in the afternoon and before 
prayers, shall be without reading and singing line by line. After 
prayers, each line shall be read and sung separately, and after 
sermon, the singing shall be without reading and singing line by 
line." Thus happily was this difficult matter compromised. 
Enough of the old fashion was retained to satisfy the aged 
people, whose prejudices in this matter wore probably imbedded 
in their very existence, while the taste of those who were 
pleased with the change was gratified by carrying three-fifths 
of their point. 

In December of this year, (1787) Dea. Daniel Putnam was 
chosen to represent the town in the State Convention which 
was held at Boston on the second Wednesday of 1788, to 
deliberate on the subject matter of the new proposed Federal 
Constitution. He was unanimously instructed to vote in favor 
of the Constitution, with amendments. 

Perhaps enough has already been said respecting the appear- 
ance of the centre of the town — the number and situation of the 
3 — to convey a tolerably accurate idea of its condition in 

N 



106 HISTORY OF FITCHBURG. 

1786, or fifty years ago. A cursory view of it, however, may 
prove somewhat interesting. A traveler approaching from the 
east or south, would first behold the tavern of Thomas Cowdin, 
Esq. Upon the hill to the north-west, might he seen a small, 
yellow, and rather mean-looking meeting-house. In front would 
appear the "red store" of Joseph Fox, Esq., and in the rear 
of that, his dwelling house, with large projecting eaves. The 
mills and dwelling house of Dea. Ephraim Kimball were just 
below, and over the bridge were two houses more. Casting his 
eyes up the hill, he would see the house of Rev. Mr. Payson, 
where C. Marshall now lives. This was all that could be seen, 
and all that then constituted the middle of Fitchburg. Thence 
proceeding westward, over a crooked and rough road, the traveler 
would next see the house already mentioned as having been 
built by David Gibson, and opposite to that, on the right, the 
baker's shop. He would then come on to the present common. 
Here his sight would be greeted by small, stinted pine trees, 
and such bushes as grow upon the poorest land. A straggling 
log fence here and there might serve to diversify the scene. 
Nothing more was to be seen, unless William Brown had com- 
menced building Capt. Z. Sheldon's present dwelling house, till 
passing the swell of ground at Dr. Abel Fox's house, the modest, 
unassuming house of Benjamin Danforth would be visible on the 
right, and his blacksmith's shop on the left. Continuing his 
course onward, over one of the most wretched roads that ever 
bore that name, and passing over the high bridge — and a crazy 
one it was — near the bellows shop of Messrs. Thurston & Battis, 
no marks of human habitation were to be seen, till passing round 
the hill, he might discern in the distance the solitary cottage 
of Benjamin Kemp. 

The river, which is now crowded, so to speak, with mills and 
factories, then appeared like a useless profusion of water flowing 
noisily along over its rocky bed to the parent ocean, unob- 
structed by a single dam, save the one in the Old City. Such, 



HISTORY OF FITCHBURG. L07 

fifty years ago, was the forbidding aspect of what is now the 
busy and pleasant village of Fitchburg. 

I have hern thus particular in describing the appearance of 

the centre of the town at this period,* because then arose the 
contest respecting the location of a new meeting house — a con- 
test which continued full ten years, and was conducted with 
more bitterness of feeling, and display of angry passions, than 
any other town difficulty that ever existed among us< 

The wealth and business of the town is now so concentrated, 
that it would seem like folly to contend that the meeting house 
should be placed anywhere else than in, or near its present loca- 
tion. But from what has already been said, and from what will 
he hereafter explained, concerning the condition of the westerly 
part of the town, it will appear that those who desired the 
meeting house to be located further west were not so destitute 
of reason as one hastily judging might he inclined to suppose. 

The west, at this time, was probably the most flourishing part 
of the town. The farmers, in selecting their locations, were 
guided hither by the circumstance that here was some of the 
best soil in the town, and that the higher grounds were not so 
liable to be visited by early frosts as the lower grounds on the 
borders of the river. The river, indeed, instead of being viewed 
with eyes of favor, was dreaded as a curse. Though it fur- 
nished water power for a single mill, this did not have the 
weight of a feather in comparison with the heavy expense of 
maintaining the bridges. It is not surprising, therefore, that the 
people of the west, burdened with no such plague within their 
precincts, should desire to cut themselves free from such an 
onerous annual tax. The tract of land now known as Dean's 
hill, having a good soil, and an elevation such as would strike 
the eye of a pioneer with delight, was early settled ; and, fifty 
years ago, was the most flourishing part of the town. 

Jacob Upton then kept quite a celebrated tavern where ('apt. 
Dean lately lived. Jedediah Cooper also kept tavern where his 



108 HISTORY OF FITCHBURG. 

son, Samuel Cooper now lives. Capt. John Upton had a store 
in the small house now occupied by Daniel Flint. Dr. Stone, 
now a distinguished physician in Harvard, and after him Dr. 
Ball,* practised medicine here. Near the tavern was another 
important appendage, a blacksmith's shop, in full operation. The 
land here was in a good state of cultivation, and the farmers 
were industrious and prosperous. The Crown Point road, which 
took the principal travel between Vermont and Boston, passed 
over this hill, and added not a little to its appearance of activity. 
With all these advantages and prospects, it is not surprising that 
the inhabitants felt their importance, and desired to exalt their 
condition above that of being merely an outskirt of the town of 
Fitchburg. 

Accordingly, early in the year 1785, an article was inserted in 
the warrant for a town meeting — " To see if the town would take 
into consideration the request of Jacob Upton and others to see 
if the town will set off the inhabitants of the north-westerly part 
of Fitchburg, with their lands and privileges, free and clear from 
said Fitchburg, to join the extreme part of Westminster, with the 
north-easterly part of Ashburnham, to be incorporated into a town, 
to have town privileges, as other towns." If this request had 
been granted, the people of the new town would have erected a 
meeting house not far from Upton's tavern. The effect of this 
was well understood. The rise in the value of real estate in that 
vicinity, and the impulse that AS'ould be given to business by 
making it the middle of the town, conspired to awaken the ener- 
gies of those interested in such a consummation to bring about 
the desired object. But it encountered many difficulties. It was 
too local in its nature — and notwithstanding all the energy with 
which it was urged in town meeting, not only the east, but every 

*He had but little else beside his good looks to recommend him. Not being overburthened with 
medical knowledge or common sense, his "practice" was limited; and he curtailed his expenses 
in proportion. He boarded with " landlord Upton.'' on condition that he should pay a certain 
sum for every meal at which he might be present, and that he should receive a certain sum 
whenever he should be absent. lie contrived that his visits to his patipnts and neighbors should 
be at such an hour as to secure a meal of victuals without expense to himself. Consequently, 
when the time of "settling" came, it appeared that the landlord was in the doctor's debt. 



HISTORY OF FITCHBURG. 109 

part of the town not included in the Hunts of the proposed new 
town, set their faces against it. They could not see the propriety 
of setting off that flourishing part of the town, and taking upon 
themselves the whole burden of maintaining the minister, bridges, 
&c. So they promptly voted that the article should be dismissed. 
But the petitioners, acting with that zeal which is not 
quenched by a single repulse, but rather gathers force from 
opposition, made another attempt in the following May, but in 
a different form. This was to see if the town would " receive 
about a mile or more in width of land, with the inhabitants 
thereon, of the northerly part of the town of Westminster, 
bounded on the northwesterly part of Fitchburg, to be annexed 
thereto, to be convened with others of the inhabitants of said 
town, for the public worship of God, and to be vested with 
all other privileges with said town in public matters, to join 
with the inhabitants of said Fitchburg to build a meeting 
house on Ezra Upton's land," &c. (A few rods to the 
southeast of the house of Daniel Works.) This was an essen- 
tial modification of the original plan ; and instead of taking 
any thing from the territory of the town, would add consid- 
erable to it. Another point was conceded by proposing to 
place the meeting house on Ezra Upton's land, which, with 
the new territory, would not be far from the centre of the 
town. But the wise men of the east were not to be deceived 
by this artfully contrived plan. They well knew that if this 
point Avas conceded, it would throw so much power into the 
hands of the west, that they could, if they should choose, 
have it set off into a separate town. This article was accord- 
ingly dismissed. 

These two defeats only made the people of the west more 
anxious to carry their point in some shape. They began to 
consider it an intolerable grievance to be compelled to travel 
over such hills and to such a distance, to attend public wor- 
ship.; and accordingly in March, 1786, they requested of the 



110 HISTORY OF FITCHBUK9. 

town, " that Rev. ' Mr. Payson have liberty to preach some 
part of the time in the year, in the westerly part of the 
town." This modest request was also denied — the town prob- 
ably thinking that by yielding an inch, they would open a 
door through which they might unwillingly be thrust a mile. 

In September of this, year a more important movement was 
made. It was voted to build " a new meeting house in the 
centre of the town, or in the nearest convenient place" to 
the centre — all being aware that the old meeting house in 
the Old City was not in the centre. All seemed to acknowl- 
edge the necessity of building a new meeting house, although 
the old house had been - standing but twenty years. It had 
never been thoroughly finished, and the winds and weather 
found their way into it in such a manner as to render it 
uncomfortable. It had rather a shabby appearance, and was 
too small to accommodate all the inhabitants. 

It being voted to build a new meeting house, the grand 
difficulty now arose, to ascertain " the nearest convenient place 
to the centre." Strong feelings on this subject had been 
already excited ; but before going further into this subject, it 
will be proper to consider what the people in the westerly 
part of the town, and the adjoining part of Westminster, were 
doing at this time. Jedediah Cooper and Jacob Upton, the 
two innkeepers, and of course men of great influence, together 
with some of their neighbors, determined to have a meeting 
house among themselves at any rate. Accordingly they bestirred 
themselves with sufficient effect to erect a frame for such a 
building, opposite the road which leads from Flint Mclntire's 
to the county road, on a small plat of ground just within the 
limits of Fitchburg. It was subsequently covered, and public- 
worship was occasionally held there, but it was never sufficiently 
finished to be worthy the name of a meeting house.* 



*Kor several years previous to (he building of the first jmri-;li meeting-house, in 1796, the people 
of the west had preaching here, in proportion to the amount of taxes which they paid towards the 
support of the minister. At other times it was indiscriminately cwed by Methodists, Baptists. 



HISTORY OF FITCHBURG. Ill 

Respecting the building and locating the new meeting house, 
the town, like many other public bodies, moved slow. Private 
interests were enlisted on both sides, and all parties seemed 
inclined, if they could not gratify their own wishes, to defeat 
those of every one else. All seemed willing that a new meet- 
ing house should be erected, but when the discussion respecting 
its location commenced, a magazine was sprung, and the con- 
fusion of tongues in one of our town meetings bore some faint 
resemblance to that of Babel. 

In September, 1788, the subject of the new meeting house 
was again brought before the town by means of an article in the 
warrant — "To see if the town will erect a meeting house in the 
centre of the town, or receive any part of Westminster that shall 
be willing to join with us, and then erect a meeting house in the 
nearest convenient place to the centre." It appears that the 
people of the west were ever determined to weave into the ques- 
tion concerning the location of the new meeting house, the grand 
object "of their desires, viz. the establishment of a new town; and 
the other inhabitants seemed equally determined that they should 
never accomplish their designs. At this meeting a committee 
Avas chosen to examine and find the most convenient place on 
which to erect the meeting house, so as to accommodate all the 
inhabitants. This committee consisted of Moses Hale, Dea. Daniel 
Putnam, Jacob Upton, Asa Perry, and Oliver Stickney. Two of 
these were in favor of having it in the west, two near its present 
location and one was neutral. At the next meeting their report 
was rejected. A motion was then made to place it on the site 
of the old one, which was also negatived. It was then voted, 
after much consideration, as the record say.-, to erect the new 



Universalists, &c, &<-. The proprietors suffered it to go to decay, and its shabby appearance 
< >1> t :t i i i«-i l for it the appellation of the "Lord's Barn." It was sold and taken down about ten 
id the proceeds of the sale (amounting to about $36) weie divided among the pic- 
prietors, so near as thej <-• m I ■ I be ascertained. 

The designation of "barn" 'Iocs not appear to have been very inappropriate. The naked walls 
and timbers, and the man] swallows which made it theii -■ ;:.)>ling in 

it sometimes i]uite unpleasant. 



112 HISTORY OF FITCHBURG. 

house on the nearest convenient place to the centre. It seems 
that this was the only point on which the town could agree. 
What the value of this "much consideration" was, appears by 
the next vote, which was to re-consider all votes hitherto passed, 
relating to this matter. At this point the meeting was adjourned 
to 9 o'clock A. M. of the next day, for the purpose probably of 
recruiting their bodily strength and their several forces. 

On the next morning the parties came on, and again pro- 
ceeded to business. The first motion was to place the new 
house where the old one then stood. This was negatived. 
A motion was then made to place the new house on the land 
of Ezra Upton's heirs. (Near to Daniel Works,' as already 
mentioned.) The house was divided in this motion " to find 
a true vote," . as the record says. For the motion appeared 32, 
against it, 17. So it was determined by a vote of almost two 
to one, to place the house in the west. A committee was 
chosen to inform the people of the west of the proceedings 
of the town, in placing the meeting house so as to accommo- 
date them. The same committee was invested with power to 
purchase the new frame erecting for a meeting house in the 
northwest part of the town, if that should appear best for the 
town's interest — otherwise they had power "to provide timber 
and materials for building a new meeting house in the prudentest 
manner for said town on said plat of ground." They were 
instructed to make a report of their proceedings at the next 
town meeting. 

This was a sore discomfiture to the east, and so they considered 
it. They caused another town meeting to be called immediately 
" To see if the town will comply with a request of a number 
of the inhabitants of the town of Fitchburg, to grant that they, 
together witli their respective estates and interests, may be set 
off from Fitchburg and annexed to Lunenburg." This shows that 
the people of the east were determined never to travel over the 
hills to the place where the new meeting house was to be erected. 



HISTORY OF FITCHBURG. L13 

Those honest people who had before voted with the west merely 
to preserve harmony and keep the town together, now became 
alarmed lest they should lose the oast in their efforts to conciliate 
the west. They occupied an exceedingly unpleasant position. If 
they said the meeting house should be placed near the old one, 
the west threatened to make a new town. If they yielded to the 
west, the east showed symptoms of returning to the arms of their 
good parent, Lunenburg. The request of the east was promptly 
denied. 

Meanwhile the committee above mentioned were busily employed 
in the duties assigned to them, notwithstanding the squally appear- 
ances in the east. They made a bargain for the frame which 
had been commenced in the northwest, and prepared a site on 
the land of Ezra Upton's heirs. Unluckily for the west, in 
1788, a town meeting was called to hear the report of this 
industrious committee. They came forth with confidence, stating 
that they had purchased the aforesaid new frame, and done 
many excellent things — whereupon the town gravely voted not 
to accept their report, and, what was rather uncivil, discharged 
them from any further service. This was done by the peace- 
makers, who, becoming somewhat frightened, once more threw 
their influence into the eastern scale. 

A committee was now chosen to find the centre of the town. 
They made a survey for this purpose, and reported that they 
found the centre, which they designated by a monument of 
stones, to be about thirty rods northerly from the present 
pound. This report was accepted : and at an adjourned meet- 
ing in December it was voted to build the meeting house in 
"the nearest convenientest place to the centre," as the record 
Bays. Thomas Cowdin Esqr., Phinehas Hartwell, (diver Stickney, 
Daniel Putnam,' and Paul Wetherbee were chosen to execute 
the difficult task of finding the " convenientest place," and 
to purchase the land of one Thomas Boynton, who then owned 
it. They selected a place a little below the present pound, 

o 



114 HISTORY OF FITCHBURG. 

and purchased 22^ acres of land, giving $2.33 per acre for 
it* — and the town approved of these proceedings. ' 

Thus it appears that the west was now in a minority — the 
peace-makers having voted with the east, to prevent the latter 
from carrying into execution their threat of joining Lunenburg. 
The men of the west immediately resorted to their old scheme 
of having a new town or parish among themselves. They called 
a town meeting, "to see if the town would - set oif the north- 
westerly part of said town, as a town, beginning on Westmin- 
ster line," &c. " Or, if the town should not see fit to comply 
with the above request, we would earnestly request of the town 
that they would set us off as a parish, upon honorable terms, 
as may be agreed upon with being annexed with adjacent parties." 
By reason of the rare attendance of the " requesters," this meet- 
ing was uncommonly peaceable, and the article was dismissed. 
July 2d, 1789, another town meeting was called, to act upon 
the following article — " To see if the town will set off the west- 
erly part of said town, as a parish, upon supposition that the 
north part of Westminster, the east part of Ashburoham, and a 
small part of Ashby will consent to be annexed to this town." 
This was an old game and well understood. The request was 
answered with a prompt denial. 

The east still holding the ascendancy, on the 2d day of 
November, 1789, the town voted to build a new meeting-house 
on the land purchased of Thomas Boynton, and chose a committee 
with full power, for this purpose. But on the 16th of the same,, 
month, the tables were turned. A vote was passed to reconsider 
all former votes — so that after four years of hard labor in endeavor- 
ing to erect a new meeting-house, the town found itself precisely 
where it began, with the exception of owning 221- acres of real 
estate. This last decision was probably effected by the circum- 
stance that the people of the. west, together with those of the 



*The present ownur of this land has l>ecn offered §100 por aero for it, which he has promptly 
refused. 



HISTORY OP HT< iiDlkG. ! (.5 

northerly part of Westminster, and a pari; of Ashburnham and 
Ashby, had laid before the General Court a powerful petition, 
for an act of incorporation into a 

This petition set forth in glowing colors I ightful situation 

of the contemplated town — how nature had lavished all her skill 
upon it — how admirably adapted for a township by itself was the 
noble swell of land — and that nothing in nature or in art could 
exceed, the grand and imposing spectacle of a meeting-house 
towering from its summit, while beneath the said swell was a 
region of low, sunken laud, which almost cut off the petitioners 
from intercourse with the rest of mankind. All this looked 
exceedingly well on paper, and was presented to the General 
Court in 1700. An order of court was sent to this town, and 
to the others interested, to show cause, if any they had, why 
the prayer of said petition should not be granted. 

The. town now saw the ? going to work in earnest. 

After conferring with committees from Westminster, Ashburnham 
and Ashbj, the people of Fitchburg drew up a spirited remon- 
strance. In this remonstrance the)" denied every statement set 
forth in the petition — alleging that the latter Was entirely the 
work of fancy, and a specimen of outrageous poetical license,"* 
that the petitioners were actuated solely by interested views, that 
their object \ ■ from the onerous burden of contribu- 

ting their just proportion towards the maintenance of some of the 
expensive bridges that were ever l. They declared 

that if the petitioners should succeed in their object, the remain- 
in-' portion of the town would be completely overwhelmed by that 
grievous nuisa North branch of the Nashua. 

It will be perceived that both parties understood the art of 
using extravagant language : and so equally balanced were matters 
when they came before the General Court, that it was finally 
decided to let them remain as they were— and so no new town 
was erected on thai beautiful hill. 

In September, L791, the town, bavin-' recovered breath alter 



110 HISTORY OF FITCHBURG. 

this valorous contest, began to adopt measures for building a new 
meeting house. The old favorite motion— to erect a meeting house 
in the centre of the town, or " in the nearest convenientest place 
thereto' 1 — was made in town meeting, and carried— jeas 41, nays 
23. A committee was chosen to report to the town the plan of 
such a house as it might be thought advisable to build. The 
report of this committee recommending three years to be allowed 
in which to build the house, and that individuals might have an 
opportunity to pay for their pews with materials and labor upon 
it, was accepted. A committee was chosen in October to clear a 
place for its situation near the pound, and had full power to pro- 
ceed and finish it. At another meeting in December, the town, 
acting with its usual consistency, dismissed this committee from 
any further service. So they were again as in the beginning. 

In May, 1793, an attempt was made to repair the old meet- 
ing house ; but the town would not listen to such a proposition. 

The inhabitants commenced operations anew in September, 
1794, by voting " to erect a meeting house in the centre of said 
town, or in the nearest convenientest place thereto, to accommo- 
date the inhabitants thereof for divine worship." Three disinter- 
ested individuals not belonging to the town — viz. Josiah Stearns, 
Esqr. and David Kilburn of Lunenburg, and Benjamin Kimball, 
Estu*. of Harvard, were chosen "to centre the town," as the 
record says, and to ascertain that hitherto undiscovered point, 
."the nearest convenientest place" to said centre. They found 
the centre of the town to be not far from the summit of the 
hill, nearly seventy rods to the northeast of the present town 
pound. But taking all things into consideration, they decided 
that the house should stand a little to the rear of Messrs. 
Thurston & Battis' present bellows shop. The town rejected this 
report, yeas 29, nays 36, So the opinions of interested and dis- 
interested persons were treated precisely alike — -as good for 
nothing. 

In the following May. another attempt was made to erect a 



HISTORY OF PITCHBT RQ. 1 IT 

house upon the site recommended by this committee. The vote 
stood yeas 45, nays 48. At this meeting ;i committee of 
twenty-one of the inhabitants was chosen to select and report 
to the town a suitable place, on which to build a meeting 
house. This committee reported in favor of the place selected by 
the committee of "disinterested persons." The town then voted to 
build a meeting house on that place, yeas 61, nays 47. A town 
meeting was accordingly called on the 8th of January, 1795, for 
the purpose of choosing a committee to purchase the ground 
selected. But at this meeting the town refused to choose any 
such committee — and so ended the project of building a meeting 
house there. 

But the subject was not suffered to remain long at rest; for on 
the 26th of the same month, it was vot?d to erect a meeting 
house on the land purchased of Thomas Boynton, and to m >del it 
after the one in Leominster. It was to he completed on the last 
day of December, 1796. At an adjournment of this meeting, in the 
following July, it was voted to model the meeting house after the 
one (on the hill) at Ashburnham. A road, four rods wide, 
beginning nearly opposite to the red Gotton factory, was laid out, 
passing up the valley in the rear of Widow Sawyer's dwelling 
house, to accommodate the people of the east. John Putnam Jr. 
catered into a contract with the town to build the meeting house. 

In September, a committee was chosen to prepare the ground 
for the reception of the house, and to level a common before it. 

In October a motion was made in town meeting to locate the 
meeting house "at the crotch of the roads near Capt. William 
Brown's." This motion was carried, yeas 44, nays 30. So it 
was then decided to place the house where the First Parish 
meeting house now stands. I have been informed that it was 
designed to have the house face directly "down street," and 
that the underpinning was laid for that purpose, but that the 
opposing faction mustered sufficient strength to got it faced 
directly to the south, and consequently comerwise to the street. 



118 HISTORY OP FITCHBUKG. 

Thus ended a contest of full ten years' duration, respecting the' 
location of a meeting house. It was carried on with much more 
than the usual degree of zeal, obstinacy and bitterness of feeling 
which too often characterize difficulties of this nature. Passion 
got the control of judgment, and men seemed willing to sacrifice 
everything to a desire of carrying their point. So fiercely was 
the contest earned on, that people from the neighboring towns 
frequently Hocked in to attend a town meeting in Fitchburg. 

I have mentioned only a few of these town meetings at which 
this subject was the principal topic. The town records for these 
ten years are principally filled with accounts of them. The num- 
ber of these meetings I have not taken the trouble to count, 
but I have been credibly informed that the town was called 
together ninety-nine times on the subject. Indeed, if any one 
will take the trouble to examine the records, he will find nearly 
an average number of ten meetings yearly. The matter was finally 
compromised. The people of the west were allowed to have 
preaching in their neighborhood in proportion to the amount of 
taxes which they contributed towards the support of the minister. 

The meeting house, on its present location, was built during 
the summer of 1796. At the " raising," the inhabitants conclu- 
ded — nut to bury their griefs beneath the altar — but to drown 
them in deep potations of West India rum. For, on this occasion 
the town voted — -and it appears to have been the only vote on 
fiis subject which did not give rise to bitter contention — to pur- 
chase a barrel of West India rum, with a sufficient quantity of 
loaf sugar wherewith to regale and refresh all those who might 
be present. So gravely and systematically did they conduct this 
part of the ceremonies, that they chose a committee consisting of 
I lea con Daniel Putnam, Deacon Kendall Boutelle, Deacon Ephraim 
Kimball, Reuben Smith, Joseph Polley, Dr. Jonas Marshall, and 
Asa Perry, to deal out the "grog" with instructions if that bar- 
rel was not sufficient, to procure more at the town's expense. 

The meeting house was finished, and dedicated on the 19th day 



HISTORY OF FITCIIBURG. I P.* 

of January, 1797. The dedication sermon was preached by Rev. 
Zabdiel Adams, of Lunenburg, there being no settled minister in 
this town at that time. 

In December, 1797, Dea. Daniel Putnam was chosen to repre- 
sent the town in the ■ invention held in Boston in the fol- 
lowing January, to take into consideration " the subject matter of 
he new proposed Federal Constitution." Objections to the Con- 
stitution were reported to the town, and unanimously adopted. 
The representative was instructed to report these objections to 
the Convention, if needful. A large majority of the town after- 
wards voted in favor of the Constitution, 

When the troubles with France broke out, in 1793, the town 
promptly voted to pay the soldiers that might be drafted from 
this place 50s. in addition to the pay they might receive from 
the United States. 

But few incidents worthy of note, disconnected with ecclesias- 
tical affairs, have occurred since the year 1800. Those few will 
be briefly alluded to. 

It seems always to have been a favorite object with the people 
of this town to have the County of Worcester divided, so that 
the towns in the northern part, together with some of those in 
Middlesex County, might he erected into a new county. In 1798, 
they sent a, remonstrance to the General Court against building 
a new Court House in Worcester, and petitioned to have the 
county divided. The several towns of the county voted on the 
question in April, 1798, by order of the General Court. In this 
town the vote was unanimous (77) in favor of a. division. The 
attempt was again renewed in 1800, by conventions in Templeton 
and Gardner, which delegates from this town attended. The last 
attempt was made in 1828, when the petitions of Ivors Jewett 
and others were sent to the General Court. When the question was 
referred to the County, the votes in Fitchburg were 117 in favor 
of a division, and '1 against it. 



•'i' ii- house is now (autumn of 1836) about to be removed and n new and more elegant structure 
<•■ t.. erected nearly on the same .-it<?. 



120 HISTORY OF FITCHBURG. 

Tt appears from a remonstrance sent to the General Court In 
1804, that the number of legal voters at that time was 181. 

In 1820, a large majority of the inhabitants were in favor of a 
convention for revising the Constitution of the State. To this con- 
vention Calvin Willard and John Shepley Esqrs., were appointed 
delegates. A majority of the voters appeared to be in favor of 
most of the amendments proposed by the convention. 

Ecclesiastical History. The history of the ecclesiastical 
affairs of Lunenburg, previous to the incorporation of Fitchburg, 
has not been kept distinct from the other affairs of the town. It 
will be recollected that Fitchburg was incorporated after the death 
of Rev. Samuel Pay son, and previous to the settlement of Rev. 
Zabdiel Adams. While the people of Fitchburg were unable " to 
provide preaching among themselves," they attended meeting at 
Lunenburg. 

In the winter of 1764-5, they had preaching for six weeks. 
Having no meeting-house, they were wont to assemble in the 
tavern of Samuel TTunt, where they listened to the teachings of 
Rev. Peter Whitney. Mr. Whitney, author of "The History 
*>f Worcester County," was a graduate of Harvard University, 
1762, and was for a long period minister of Northboro', Mass. 
Rev. Peter Whitney, of Quincy, is his son, and Rev. George 
Whitney, of Boxbury, his grandson. 

In the year 1766, there was no preaching in the town. In 
17<>7, application was made to Rev. Messrs. Whitney, Samuel 
Angier and John Payson, to come and preach. Mr. Angier, 
(Harvard University, 1763,) gave great satisfaction, and was 
invited to settle. The invitation was declined partly, if not 
wholly, on account of some difficulty between him and Dea. 
Amos Kimball. 

[u May, 1767, the town appointed Vw a day of fasting and 
prayer in order to ask Divine assistance in giving some gen- 
tleman a call to settle in the gospel ministry in this town." 



HISTORY OF FITCHBURG. 121 

Rev. John Payson was preaching during the summer of this 
year, and in November he consented to become the settled 
minister of the place. His ordination took place January 27th, 
1TG8. The Church was embodied on the 9th of the same month. 
Mr. Payson was a son of Rev. Phillips Payson, of Chelsea, and 
was graduated at Harvard University in 1704. He was a 
brother of Rev. Samuel Payson, the young and much lamented 
minister of Lunenburg, who died in 1763. Rev. Dr. Seth 
Payson, of Rindge, N. H., was his half-brother. 

Mr. Payson appears to have been a man of respectable tal- 
ents, of a peaceful disposition, and of devoted piety. He was 
fortunate in having secured, for a long period, the love and 
respect of his people. Fond of the peaceful walks of his pro- 
fession, he knew but little of the aifairs of the world, and was 
ill calculated to sustain its bullets. The latter years of his 
ministry were embittered by the inroads made among his people 
by the Methodists, ■ Baptists and Universalists. These circum- 
stances, together with a constitutional infirmity of mind, caused 
a great depression of spirits, which finally settled in confirmed 
insanity. Lucid intervals occasionally intervened. Yet he con- 
tinued to preach for several years. He would go through with 
the public services on the sabbath with perfect propriety, when 
frequently there did not occur another lucid interval during the 
week. He discontinued preaching for a period in the spring 
and summer of 1702, but resumed his pastoral duties in the 
autumn. His infirmity increasing upon him in the summer of 
1793, both the church and town united in calling a council to 
take into consideration their eccles'.astical affairs.* This council 

*The bill for the entertainment of this council at the inn of Widow Hannah Cowdin is a curi- 
osity in its way, and is as follows — 

"FiUhburg, Nov. 11th, 1794. 
'•The Venerable Council's Bill. 

28 meals of victuals at 1* Qd $7.00 

17 suppers " Is. 2.83 

L7 breakfasts " Is. 2.83 

34 dinners " Is. <>/ 8.50 

9 suppers " Is. 1-50 

2 br< " Is 33 

L0 lodging* " ill -64 

Horse keeping 10.00 

SEI^Liquor 7-60 

" Rec'd Pay't, Hannah CoWDW." $41.08 

P 



122 HISTORY OF FITCHBUItG. 

was unable to effect a reconciliation — the town refusing to 
accede to Mr. Payson's propositions. 

In April, 1794, all parties agreed to re-assemble the former 
council, and to abide by its decision. The council decided that 
the town should pay Mr. Payson the sum of $530, and that 
his pastoral relations should cease. This proposition was accepted 
by the town on the 2d day of May, 1794 ; and Mr. Payson's 
connections with the town were then dissolved. 

He continued to reside here without any alleviation of his 
unfortunate infirmity, till May, 1804, when, being on a visit at 
the house of his brother-in-law, in Leominster, he put a period 
to his existence by first taking poison, and cutting his throat 
immediately after. In a lucid interval before his death, he ex- 
pressed the most poignant grief for the act which he had 
committed."* He died in the 59th year of his age, and in the 
86th of his ministry. 

For about one year after this period, Rev. John Kimball was 
employed to preach, and was invited to become the minister of 
the place, but the invitation was declined. 

In December, 1795, an invitation given to Rev. John Miles, 
to " settle," was declined by him. In April, 1797, the church 



*The following is the inscription upon the tomb-stone, in the old grave yard in this town. 

" SUB HOC TUMULO 

RELIQUIJS 

REV. JOIIANXIS PAYSON A. M. 

•i \t i: xt: 

OLIM ECCLESIJE FITCHBURGENSIS 

PASTOR 

QUI DIE MAII XVIII 

A \\o DOMINI M. DCCCIV 

MORTUUS EST, 

AXXO JETATIS LIS 

ANNOQUE STTI SACERDOTII XXXVI. 

PRJGSTANTISSIMO VIU IXOKXIO 

BE X E VOLE XT! SSI Al< >QU E A X IMO 

SCIENTIA PR^EDITUS, MANDATOQUE IHVIXO FIDELIS, 

STUDIO EXERCITATIOQUE THEOLOGI2E 

CMICO MONITU FACTISQUE CHARITATIS DUCTUS 

POTIUSQUAM CONTENTIONI INANI 

PERSECUTIONIBUSQUE A.VARITIJE SORDIDIS. 



A SOX ERECTS THIS MON CAI ENT TO THE MEMORY OF AX AFFT.C- 
TIOM A i E AND ULLOVKO FATHER." 



HISTORY. 01 PITCHBURO. L23 

proposed to give Rev. Mr. Noyes a "call," but the town de- 
clined, and immediately proposed, by ;i vote of Id to 24, Rev. 
Samuel Worcester. The church concurred, and Mr. Wore 
was ordained in September, 171*7. He received a " settlement" 
of ^o-jB.BS the first year, and the same amount the second. 
His salary was $333.33 nor annum, with the improvement of 
the town's land. When either party wished to give up the 
contract, it was stipulated that it might be done by a mutual 
council. A majority of the people became dissatisfied with him 
in 1801, and the town was divided into three societies. The 
time which each should occupy the meeting-house was determined 
by the proportion of taxes which they paid. By this rule, the 
society in the east part of the town occupied it 24 sabbaths, Mr. 
Worcester's society 17 sabbaths, the society in the west 8 
baths, and the Methodists and Baptists 3 sabbaths. In May, 
1801, Mr. Worcester expressed, a desire to be dismissed ; but 
he and the church claimed the sole rigid of appointing the coun- 
cil — which claim the town considered to be a violation of the 
contract of settlement. Accordingly, in August, the town voted 
that they considered Mr. Worcester to be dismissed, and the 
contract null and void. By their order, the doors of the meet- 
ing-house were closed, and could not be opened except by order 
of the selectmen. In June, 1802, Mr. Worcester was dismissed 
by the sanction of a regularly convened council, and his pastoral 
relations ceased in the following September. 

At this time the two parties into which the town was divided, 
were much imbittered against each other, and the parochial powers 
of the town were soon dissolved. In the Spring of 1804, Rev. 
Titus Theodore Barton was installed as pastor over the one society, 
and shortly after, Rev. Wm. Bascom became the pastor of the other. 

.Mr. Barton's church and society became discontented with him 
in L812, in consequence of some indiscretions on his part min- 
gled with political feelings, and he was dismissed in February, 
1813. Mr. Bascom's society then made overtures for a re-union 
of the societies, which was effected QCar (lie close of the same year 



124 HISTORY OP F1TCHBURG. 

=— Mr. Bascom himself, at the same time, requesting to be dismissed. 
The request was granted, and in 1815 he went to Leominster. 

In Jane, 1814, the church invited Rev. Winthrop Bailey to 
become their pastor, but he declined in consequence of the oppo- 
sition made to his settlement by a portion of the society. 

Rev. William Eaton began to preach in February, 1815, and 
became the settled minister of the place in August of the same 
year. He was dismissed June 30th, 1823, at his own request— 
a considerable portion of his society not agreeing with him in 
religious sentiments. In October, 1823, the two societies separated 
from each other. Rev. Calvin Lincoln, Jr., the present minister 
of the first society, was ordained June 30th, 1824. 

Rev. Rufus A. Putnam was ordained over the "Calvinistic 
Congregational Church" and Society in February, 1824, and was 
dismissed, at his own request, in March, 1831. Rev. John A. 
Albro was installed pastor of the same society in May, 1832, and 
was dismissed, at his own request, in December, 1834. Rev. 
Joshua Emery, Jr., the present pastor, was ordained in May, 1835. 

The meeting-house belonging to this society was built during 
the ministry of Rev. Mr. Barton, and was enlarged to its present 
size in 1828. 

The Village Baptist society was formed in March, 1831, and 
incorporated in February, 1834. The meeting-house was built in 
the Autumn of 1833. Rev. Appleton Morse was hired to preach 
in the Spring of 1831, and continued till February, 1834. Rev. 
John W. McDonald was hired to preach from December, 1834, to 
November, 1835. Rev. 0. L. Well, the present preacher, com- 
menced in January, 1836. 

The Methodist Society was formed in March, 1834. The first 
preacher was Rev. Joel Knight, who commenced his labors in this 
place in June, 1834, and left in the Autumn of 1835. 

"The first Baptist Society of Fitchburg and Ashby"— which 
society has a meeting-house* in the northern part of this town— 

*This meeting-house is not far from the limits of Ashby, on the road leading to that town. It 
is small in size, and not very elegant in its appearance. The traveler, not informed of ;he puipose 
for which it was erected, would probably mistake it for a barn. 



HISTORY OF FTTCHBURG. 135 

was incorporated in June, 1810. Rev. Benjamin Tolman, a reg- 
ularly ordained minister, has been the pastor of this society for 
a long period. This Society belongs to the denomination of those 

usually styled "Free-will Baptists," and has no connection with 
the Baptist society which formerly existed in the westerly part of 
the town. These latter were more properly "Calvinistic Baptists." 
So early as 1787, "seventeen professed Baptists" were exempted 
from paying any tax towards the support of Rev. Mr. Payson, 
as they had preaching among themselves. They continued to have 
preaching at intervals, till the strife respecting the location of the 
meeting-house had subsided. After that period, both the Meth- 
odists and Baptists in the west, gradually dwindled away, or 
united themselves with societies in other towns. 

It has not been thought necessary to descend into the particu- 
lars of the unhappy difficulties which this town has experienced 
in its ecclesiastical affairs. The recital of them, at the present 
time, would prove to be rather painful than interesting, and 
perhaps an impartial account would give satisfaction to neither 
party. When it is recollected that these divisions commenced in 
the year 1800, during the ministry of Rev. Mr. Worcester, and 
continued, with more or less excitement, till the ordinations of 
Rev. Messrs. Putnam and Lincoln, in 1821— during which period 
difficulty after difficulty arose, and council after council was called; 
when more than one separation and union of the societies were 
effected, and when the church and parish frequently came into 
collision — it will be seen that a strictly impartial account of them 
would be a task of no small difficulty, and would extend the 
limits of this work much too far. It will be enough to state 
generally that angry feelings were frequently indulged to an inex- 
cusable extent. Neighbor was divided against ueighbor, family 
against family, and sometimes husband against wife. On one 
occasion, during the ministry of Mr. Worcester, a council was 
in session nearly a fortnight, and on another, two councils were 
convened at the same time. If this excited state of feeling has 
now passed away, the writer would not incur the hazard of disturb- 
ing the calm by galling a tender wound. 



AJpiPiEiisriDiix:. 



REPRESENTATIVES . 

1 have thought that a complete li?st of the Representatives of this town, 
since the adoption of the Constitution, might possess some interest. Pre- 
vious to that period Fitehburg and Lunenburg formed one Representative 
district. During the period of the Revolution, the Delegates from this 
town to the most important Conventions are mentioned in the body of 
this work. 



17 SO Thomas Cowdin. 

17sl None chosen. 

17S-J Voted not to send. 

1 783 Thomas Cowdin. 

1784 Thomas Cowdin. 

1785 Voted not to send. 

1786 Voted not to send. 

1787 Daniel Putnam. 

1788 Daniel Putnam. 

17 s !) Daniel Putnam. 

17 90 Daniel Putnam. 

1791 Daniel Putnam. 

1792 Daniel Putnam. 

1703 Daniel Putnam. 

1794 Voted not to send. 

1 795 William Brown. 

1796 Voted not to send. 

1797 Voted not to send. 

1798 Joseph Fox. 

1799 William Brown. 

1800 Voted not to send. 

1801 Joseph Fox. 



1802 Voted not to send. 

1803 Joseph Fox. 

1S04 Joseph Fox. 

1*05 Samuel Gibson. 

1806 Samuel Gibson. 

1S(J7 Samuel Gibson. 

1808 Voted not to send. 

1809 Voted not to send. 

1810 Abraham Willard, 

Paul Wetherbee. 
1811 Paul Wetherbee, 

Abraham Willard. 
1S12 Paul Wetherbee, 

Samuel Gibson. 
1813* 

1814 Voted not to send. 

1815 Voted n< it t< i send . 

1 816 Voted not to send. 

1S17 Voted not to send. 

ISIS Voted not to send. 

1819 Voted not to send. 

IS^U Voted not to send. 



«" No one appeared to have more votes than all the rest". 



APPENDIX. 1-27 

1821 Voted not to send, [saiali Putnam, 

1822 Voted not to send.* Zachariah Sheldon, f 

1823 rosepli Downe, Jr. Ebenezer Torrey.f 

1824 Calvin Willard. L832 David Boutelle.t 

L825 John Shepley. Abiel -I. Towne.f 

1826 l-Van.-is Perkins. Levi Farwell.f 

1827 Francis Perkins. L833 David Boutellct 

Joseph Simonds. Francis Perkins. f 

1828 Francis Perkins. Isaiah Putnam. t 

Tsaiali Putnam. 1834 Isaiah Putnam. f 

1829 Isaiah Putnam. Levi Fnnvtdl.t 

Oliver Fox. Enoch Caldwell. t 

1830 Isaiah Putnam. 1835 Isaiah Putnam. t 

Payson Williams. Alvah Crocke] 

1831 Zachariah Sheldon, Enoch Caldwell.f 



TOTES FO 11 GO V E II N OR, 

Given in Fitehburg, since the adoption of the Constitution. "Scat- 
tering" votes are omitted. 

1 780 — John Hancock 63 James Bowdoin 1 

1 7 s 1— John Hancock, 35 

1782 — lohn I [ancoek 16 dames Bowdoin •> 

]7' s -') — lohn Hancock 37 dames Bowdoin 1 

rRev. Zabdiel Adams 21 rJohn Hancock 2 

1784— { Samuel Holton 17 (John Adams 1. 

1785— Samuel Holton 16 Thomas Gushing <"> 

1786- -Samuel Holton, 12 Thomas Cushing 4 

1 7 S 7 — lohn Hancock 56 dames Bewdoin •"> 

17SS — lohn Hancock 39 Elbridge Gerrj 12 

1789— John Hancock 59 

1790 — John Hancock 48 

17!'l — lohn Hancock 39 Francis I 'ana 1 

1792 — John Hancock 50 Azor Orne 4 

L793 — lohn Hancock 39 

17'.'! — Samuel Adams 60 Elbridge Gerry, 2 

1795— Samuel Adams 52 

1796— Samuel Adams, 67 

1797— James Sullivan, 27 Moses Gill 9 



•TheTowi ii'ling, fChosen in November. 



128 



APPENDIX. 



I 708— James Sullivan. % 43 

1700— William. Heath, 57 

1800— Elbridge Gerry, 04 

180] —Elbridge Gerry ...60 

1802 — Elbridge Gerry 72 

1803— Elbridge Gerry 63 

1804 — James Sullivan. 74 

1805 — James Sullivan 87 

1-80(5- — James Sullivan, 11*2 

1807— James Sullivan 113 

1808— Jafiies Sullivan, 105 

1 SOO— Levi Lincoln 132 

1810— Elbridge (Jerry 130 

1811— Elbridge Gerry-, 120 

1812— Elbridge Gerry" ....141 

1813-^Joseph B. Varnum, 141 

1814— Samuel Dexter, 140 

1 8 1 5— €aleb Strong, 142 

1810— Samuel Dexter, 148 

1817— Henry Dearborn, 124 

181&—John Brooks, '. 116 

1810— John Brooks, 122 

1 S20— John Brooks. 107 

1821— William Eustis 99 

1S22— William Eustis 106 

1823— William Eustis Ill 

I -'4— William Eustis : 142 

I 825 — Levi Lincoln Ill 

1 820 — -Levi Lincoln 64 

1 827 — Levi Lincoln, 118 

1828— Levi Lincoln 73 

1 829— Marcus Morton, 59 

1 830— Levi Lincoln, 07 

1 831- — Levi Lincoln, 64 

1831— (Nov.) L. Lincoln 93 

1882— Levi Lincoln, - 124 

1 s 3 3— Marcus Morton , 133 

1834— John Davis, 195 

1835— Edward Everett, 151 



Increase Sumner,. 4- 

1 1 icrease Sumner, 16 

Caleb Strong 12 

( lalel » Strong 37 

Caleb Strong, 70 

Caleb Strong 63 

( !alel » Stn >ng 50 

Caleb Strong 82 

Caleb Strong 76 

Caleb Strong 05 

Christi iplier Gore, 94 

Christopher Gore, 113 

Christopher Gore 103 

( 'hristopher Gore, 00 

Caleb Strong, 126 

Caleb Strong, 136 

Caleb Strong, 145 

Samuel Dexter, 130 

John Brooks, 134 

John Brooks, 123 

B. W. Crowninshield, 07 

B. W. Crowninshield, Ill 

William Eustis, 103 

John Brooks 07 

John Brooks 07 

Harrison G. Otis 107 

Samuel Lathrop 123 

Sa muel Hubbard, 58 

Marcus Morton, 15 

Marcus Morton, 3 

Levi Lincoln, 40 

Marcus Morton, 72 

Marcus Morton, 64 

Samuel Lathrop 75 

( Samuel Lathrop 40 

) Marcus Morton, 27 

(John Davis. 127 

\ John Quincy Adams, 37 

Marcus Morton, 82 

Marcus Morton, 85 



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